Twice in a Lifetime
by YarningChick
Summary: Haru saves 'another' child and meets the man of her dreams. Now all he has to do is convince her that he is.
1. The Rescue

Warning: This fan fiction has biased opinions that may offend some of the readers. They are free to take offense if they wish or to laugh and enjoy the story.

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter One: The Rescue

"Daddy, do I _have_ to go out in the water?" A five-year old girl asked while her father fitted a life vest over her lavender party dress. He lovingly brushed a few dark strands of hair from her face, their green eyes locked on each other. Her arms were wrapped around a large box covered with red wrapping paper and a yellow bow.

"Yes you do, sweetheart. Peter is being very nice about letting us onto his father's yacht, and we need to be nice too." He was wearing a light gray suit with a red vest and blue bow tie.

"But the water…" The tiny girl looked fearfully at the glittering river next to them. Her father snapped the life jacket in place.

"Just keep the vest on and nothing bad will happen."

"Mr. Gikkingen, we're ready for you."

The man carefully picked up his daughter and carried her onto the plank and into the main area of the boat, where a small group of children was waiting for her.

"Hah hah, Emily still needs to be carried around by her daddy!" One of the boys pointed and laughed as the little girl was set in their midst.

"Please control your finger-pointing, Robert; I know for a fact that you're scared of snakes." The gray figure straightened and tipped his hat at the children before turning towards another area of the yacht, where several older people were gathered.

"Ah, Baron! I was hoping you and your daughter would make it!"

The gray figure tipped his hat again in acknowledgement.

"Emily was thrilled to be invited to your son's birthday party, David. She was a little less excited about the party being over water, however."

All the men laughed understandingly.

"I remember when Julia refused to take swimming lessons after watching Jaws. I trust that's not why your daughter's scared?" An elder man questioned slyly. Baron scoffed dismissively.

"Like I would allow Emily to watch a film like that. Her mother disliked water too, so it's not entirely her fault." He decided to keep his own distaste a secret.

"Well, it looks like everyone that was invited came, so we're free to anchor off!"

The captain gave the orders, and the crew started on their duties. Within fifteen minutes, the yacht was sailing smoothly down the river to the chorus of children's music and laughter.

"I can't believe they're already through with kindergarten." One of the women shook her head sadly as the young ones began a game of red light, green light. Another one laughed.

"I know; I half expect my Robert to wake me up one morning soon and demand the keys to the Viper."

"You mean he hasn't yet?"

Everyone had a good laugh over that while Emily tagged another girl.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The afternoon passed pleasantly, the festivities giving away to cake and ice cream while watching the tourists take their small boats and go around the yacht. One of the elder men sniffed disdainfully at the people in smaller boats.

"Hooligans. I wish we could just get rid of all of them for good."

A sudden scuffle at the other end of the boat was followed by a sharp scream. All the adults turned to the children's section, a majority of them gathering at one side of the boat.

"Emily! Emily!" a chorus of kids shouted down at the water. Baron felt a cold fear grip his chest as he ran for the guard rail. The birthday boy was holding a spare life jacket in his hands, the Velcro straps flapping around his horrified face. When Baron got a look over the rail, he could see where his daughter was struggling in the water, and prepared to jump in after her.

A passenger off one of the nearby tourist boats beat him to it, and the sandy blonde man could see the swimmer closing in fast on his daughter. He was too far up to tell the gender of the rescuer, but to be honest, he wasn't caring at the present. Looking around, he spotted a large coil of rope, and hurriedly tied one end of it to the rail as the rescuer grabbed the girl and held her head above the waves. Seeing what he was about to do, a couple of the sailors gathered to help him.

"Hold onto this!" Baron shouted as he threw the majority of the rope down to the two in the water as the crew gripped the fastened end. A few seconds passed.

"Okay, I've got it!" A voice managed to be heard over the edge.

The sailors began pulling steadily on the rope, Baron at the front so he could grasp the slim hand that appeared over the edge gripping the rope. The hand switched its grip from the rope to his hand, and was followed by a soaking young woman that crawled over the railing, the little girl clutching her neck and crying into her shoulder. Baron didn't even bother to pry his daughter off her rescuer before enveloping both in a warm hug, not caring that his suit would be soaked by the action. The woman holding Emily seemed a little surprised that he was including her in his embrace, but what stunned everyone else was the young woman's face, which was very familiar.

"Louise? Is that you?"

The woman's dark eyes blinked once, confused by the question.

"Uh, if you're talking to me, my name's Haru, not Louise."

Baron stopped squeezing long enough to look her in the face. The young woman's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't say anything more. The blonde man turned to the woman who had spoken.

"If you'll recall, Urbana, not only did my wife have green eyes, but she is also deceased."

The woman reddened in embarrassment while one of the crew handed the woman a towel. Haru nodded gratefully at him and kneeled on the ground. Setting Emily down, she started to dry off the girl. The sailor had another towel ready for the girl, but held it awkwardly as the young woman toweled off the younger.

"I hope you'll be a bit more careful in the future, young lady. I nearly got a heart attack watching you fall."

The little girl was still crying into her hands, not looking her rescuer in the eye.

"It wasn't my fault! Peter pushed me and pulled off my life jacket."

Every eye turned toward the birthday boy, who dropped the vest in an attempt to look less guilty.

"I wasn't trying to-"

"It doesn't matter what you were trying to do! Emily could have drowned if this lady hadn't been here!" The yacht owner took his son by the ear and dragged the boy off to a private room for more scolding. He called back to Baron as he opened a door and pushed his son through. "Many apologies, Baron, Emily." The blonde man nodded slightly and turned his attention back to the woman drying off his daughter.

'_There are some physical similarities between this woman and my wife, but Louise never would have jumped off a boat to save someone she didn't even know.'_ This brought his manners back, and he kneeled next to Haru and laid his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. His hand seemed to tingle with sparks, and it wasn't from the woman's cold and wet clothing.

"Words can't describe how grateful I am to you, Miss Haru."

She had thrown the towel over Emily's head and started drying off her hair, though her eyes were on him as she nodded in acknowledgement.

"The look on your face says it pretty well." As a finishing touch, she wrapped the towel around the girl, who was finally able to look at the one who saved her. Her eyes widened.

"Mommy?"

Haru blinked again, and laughed nervously.

"No sweetheart, I'm not your mother. But be good anyway, okay?" She kissed Emily's forehead, stood up, and gripped the rail next to her.

"What are you doing?"

She smiled at the gray suited man as she swung one leg over.

"Heading back to my friend's boat; she's probably ready to kill me for pulling a stunt like that."

"At least let me repay you."

The brunette quirked one eyebrow at him as she readied herself to jump.

"Your daughter's life and your relief is all the reward I need, but thanks anyway."

His hand shot out and grabbed hers. The spark from before seemed more powerful, now that he was touching her skin, and she turned back quickly to face him, like she had felt it too.

"What about your full name then? Mine's Baron von Gikkingen."

She smiled, a bit ironically, and looked at him in his full attire before turning to face the water.

"Haru Amasawa. Talk about coincidences."

In shock, he released her hand, and she executed a perfect swan dive from the yacht. She didn't have to worry about boats running over her, since they had all stopped when they discovered there was a child in the water. Her boat had floated fairly close to the yacht, and the people on top of the large boat could hear the woman getting her ear chewed off quite clearly as she climbed into the small boat below them.

"Baron? What did she mean, 'talk about coincidences'?" One of his companions asked as Emily wrapped her arms around his leg.

"Daddy? If her name's Amasawa, doesn't that mean she's-" He leaned down and hugged her fiercely before she could finish her question. They watched the boat speed away from them, Haru barely seen to be waving back to them, now wrapped in a body towel.

"Yes. That's exactly what it means."


	2. The Stalkers

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Two: The Stalkers

Haru sighed in relief as she slung her duffel onto the floor of her apartment and collapsed on the couch, her arm still stinging from the scratch the girl had accidentally given her. That girl must file her nails or something, to get them that sharp.

'_It's so good to be back.'_ As fun as traveling was, nothing could ever beat the solidity of home. She had won a quilting contest two weeks prior, the prize being a week in England, all expenses paid. Haru had a lot of fun over the week, and made a few new friends. _'Of course, it's possible that the only reason I won was to save that kid.'_ She felt guilty about not catching the beautiful little girl's name, but was slightly amused at her father's.

'_The look on his face clearly said he had no clue about who I was at first, but at least he dressed like my mother's character. He's probably what the cat doll would look like as a human anyway.'_ On impulse, she got up and retrieved a well-worn book from the bookshelf next to her collapsible quilting frame.

Whisper of the Heart, her mother's under-acclaimed first story. As a kid, Haru received every possible inside detail on the writing process of the book, its part in bringing her parents together in junior high school, and how it helped keep them together while her father studied to become a violin maker in Venice for ten years. Her eyes strayed to the family portrait on the shelf where the book had rested.

The picture had been taken when she was only six, and they had gone to a hot spring to relax. Her parents had decided that a picnic sounded fun, and they had managed to convince a jogger to take a picture. Her dad was resting his head on her mother's lap while she rubbed his shoulders, and Haru was cuddling in her father's arms, a happy smile on her face.

Haru was about to turn and head into her kitchen when she did a double-take of the picture. If she had green eyes as a child, no one would have been able to tell the difference between her and Baron's daughter.

'_No wonder they mistook me for Louise; her daughter must favor her in looks. At least Baron knew I wasn't his wife.'_ She blushed deeply, thinking about what might have happened if he had thought she was. He had squeezed the stuffing out of her when he thought she was just a Good Samaritan. She laughed darkly as she raided her fridge for something edible. 'Good Samaritan' described her pretty well, since she seemed to be incapable of denying help when it was needed. Hiromi was forever teasing her about being late for class because she saw a kitten stuck in a tree or something like that. Finding nothing in the fridge or cupboards, Haru located her purse and headed out to the closest grocery store, her stomach rumbling.

"Haru!"

She turned quickly and gave a bright smile.

"Hi, Hiromi!"

Her best friend caught up to her, slightly out of breath.

"How… was England?"

"It was fun! You should see all the cool craft shops they have over there!"

Her friend groaned.

"Like I've said before; if you want a quilt or socks, then go to a store!"

"Never. To do so would be against my nature as a clothing and textiles major."

They started walking side by side into the neighborhood store.

"Well, did you do anything besides ransack yarn shops?"

"I went on a boat ride two days before heading home," Haru offered, deciding to keep the rescue a secret. She grabbed a cart at the front entrance and started going through the aisles.

"I bet _that_ was fun."

The brunette smiled inwardly, grabbing a jug of milk and a carton of eggs.

"It was. How are things here?"

"Same old, same old. Tsuge's taking me out again tomorrow."

Haru quirked an eyebrow at her while throwing frozen vegetables into the cart.

"My, you sound all excited. Is something wrong between you two?"

"Not wrong, necessarily-" she was cut off when another cart bumped into Haru's while rounding a corner.

"Sorry-" Haru's apology was cut off seeing who the other cart belonged to, and her jaw dropped. The little girl hanging from the side of the cart jumped off and hugged Haru's legs.

"Surprise!" The kid sang out, tightening her grip. Hiromi stared at the blonde man behind the cart, then the girl, and finally at her best friend, a stormy expression crossing her features.

"That little girl looks suspiciously familiar, Haru. Have you been keeping something from me?!"

The captive woman turned a deep red and shook her head violently while trying to get her voice to work. The man was kind enough to step in for her.

"Emily and I are recent acquaintances of Miss Amasawa; I assure you their similar appearance is completely coincidental."

Haru gratefully nodded her head in confirmation. Hiromi smiled grimly.

"Good, because I doubt Machida would take Haru having a secret family very well."

Haru had gotten over her shock enough to lean down and hug the girl back.

"So Emily's your name. It's pretty."

The little girl giggled.

"Thank you. Who's Machida?"

"My boyfriend."

Emily's face fell, and Baron looked a little surprised. He sighed.

"I guess it was a little too much to hope that someone like you would still be single."

Haru blushed hard again. However, his comment peaked Hiromi's interest.

"She hardly ever stops talking about Machida, how come you didn't already know?"

"We were a little distracted at the time, since my daughter had nearly drowned."

She glared at her best friend.

"Let me guess; Haru was in another boat, saw Emily struggling in the water, and swam to your daughter's rescue?"

The older brunette had the grace to look guilty.

"I kind of jumped out of the boat before she hit the water."

The red head shook her head and sighed.

"Honestly Haru; even when you're on vacation? Can't you take a break from this kind of thing for a single day?"

She released one arm from the little girl to mockingly hold her chin.

"Let me think. Mmmm…no."

Baron raised an eyebrow.

"I take it that this is common behavior from Miss Amasawa?"

Hiromi laughed harshly as her friend tried to say,

"You don't have to call me by my last name, you know."

"You bet this is common behavior! She's been like this ever since she was younger than this little girl. Kittens in trees, scraped knees on young skateboarders, lost kids in super malls, the list could go on forever-"

Haru sweat dropped and hurriedly stood up to put one hand over her friend's mouth, one arm still around Emily. Baron looked vastly amused.

"But the list doesn't need to be described in detail, now does it?"

A musical beeping distracted everyone, and Hiromi pulled out her cell phone to check the caller ID.

"Oh my gosh, I need to take this. Catch ya later Haru and Haru's friend!" She bolted out of the store as a voice called after her.

"His name's Baron!"

The door closed behind her, and the other customers stared at the woman who had yelled. Blushing slightly, Haru worked her cart free of Baron's and started down another row while he wheeled his cart next to hers, Emily still balancing on Haru's hip.

"So you guys came all the way to Japan to see me?"

He grinned at her and grabbed a carton of orange juice.

"Well, that was a contributing factor to my sudden desire to spend the summer here."

"How did you find out what area I lived in?"

"Online phonebooks are pretty useful, and Emily spotted you going into this store, so we decided to surprise you."

Haru laughed while setting Emily down, her arm starting to give out.

"Well, it was definitely a surprise. I didn't think I'd see the two of you again."

"Are you disappointed?"

Haru turned to him while grabbing a loaf of bread.

"If I was, then I wouldn't be smiling. I'm grateful that no one had to get wet this time."

Baron intentionally ran his cart softly into hers again to get her full attention.

"There was another reason for us coming here. I was hoping to hire you as a swimming coach for Emily."


	3. The New Boss

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Three: The New Boss

Haru stopped to stare at him in his red button-down shirt and light gray pants, a trace of amusement welling up in her.

"You came across a continent to secure a teacher?"

"Actually, you were a bargaining chip. After you jumped off my friend's yacht, I decided it was time my daughter overcame her water fears."

"You don't like water either," Emily grumbled as she tried to grab a chocolate breakfast cereal. Baron steered her away from it and put pancake mix in the cart.

"No, but I don't let it cripple me either. Anyway, she pretty much said that if you were willing to teach her, she wouldn't put up a fight about lessons. I'm willing to pay you twenty an hour if you take the job."

Haru's eyebrows shot up.

"That's a little much for a swimming coach, ten would be fine."

He cocked his head at her, and she couldn't help but think the action was rather cat-like.

"What about fifteen?"

Haru thought it over.

"All right. Just don't expect overnight miracles."

"So you'll take the job?"

The tiny girl stopped trying to stuff the cart with various sweet things to look at her with huge hopeful eyes.

"Yes, but I hope you're not the type of parent to put her in a bikini."

"Ah, no. If she's going to wear a swimsuit, it's going to be a real one."

Haru grinned at him and put out her hand to shake on it.

"I think we'll get along just fine."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"I thought you were coming to practice!" A male voice complained on the phone as Haru gathered a few choice items in a small duffel bag, her swimsuit underneath her clothes and her hair pulled back in a high ponytail.

"I already explained Machida; until my work starts selling better, I need this job. Bills can't pay for themselves."

"Hiromi's coming," he defended.

"Yeah, to watch Tsuge because she still lives with her parents and doesn't need to work for a living."

"There's no need to attack her like that."

"I'm not attacking her; I'm stating a fact. I've got to go now."

"I really don't feel comfortable with you going to another guy's house in a swimsuit."

"Okay, one, I'm wearing the water skiing uniform from last summer. Two, Baron backed off romantically when he found out about you, and three, he has more honor than to try something as low as stealing another guy's girlfriend."

"Wait a minute, he hit on you?"

"No, he found out about you before he got the chance." She decided to leave the 'someone like you' comment out, since it didn't quite count as flirting. "He did make it clear that he would have hit on me if I wasn't taken though. Bye."

"Haru, wait-" a beep later, he was silenced. Zipping up the duffel, she checked her watch. Baron was probably waiting downstairs right now. She grabbed her bag and locked the front door behind her.

She was coming down the steps from the second floor when a green car rolled in front of her complex. Seeing Baron in the front seat she walked toward it, and was a bit surprised when he parked and jumped out. He walked around it to open the passenger door for her. He noted the confusion on Haru's face as she stared at him, ten feet away from the car.

"Just because you're someone else's lady doesn't mean I can't treat you like one."

She blinked at him, a little stunned. Even Machida never opened the door for her, unless he was going through it first.

"Thanks, Baron." She sat down in the passenger side, and he closed the door for her. Suddenly a pair of hands covered her eyes.

"Guess who!" peeped Emily, struggling to contain her giggles. Haru hummed in concentration as Baron walked around the car, got in, and started driving down a series of streets.

"Dan Akroyd?"

"No."

"Walt Disney?"

"No."

"Annie Oakley?"

"Who's that?"

"A famous gun-shooter from America."

"Oh. Not her either."

She gave an overly dramatic sigh.

"Then I suppose it's Emily?"

The little girl squealed in delight and threw her arms around the teacher's neck from behind.

"Are you wearing your seatbelt?"

Emily guiltily released Haru, who heard a click two seconds later.

"I believe I told you to put it back on as soon as the car was moving." Baron rounded another corner, heading towards the mountain.

"But Haru took too long guessing!"

The brunette in question turned in her seat to look at her.

"Emily, if you want to play, I'm willing to play. But safety always comes first, especially when we're in a car, okay?"

The girl sullenly nodded.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Eventually, they went out of city limits, and came to a hilly forested area. Haru serenely watched the trees go by until a fair-sized house came into view. She immediately fell in love with the mountain cottage feel of the place. Baron carefully turned around and backed into the driveway.

"The pool's in the back; we'll have to relocate if this goes too late in the year."

"How on earth did you get such a nice place in under a week?"

Emily unlocked her seatbelt as Baron walked around the car to release Haru. He seemed pleased that she already liked the house.

"We already had this place as a summer home, so all we had to do was dust, open a few windows, and restock food."

Emily bounced out of her seat and grabbed Haru's hand to lead her inside. The older girl suddenly stopped short.

"What was that?"

The tiny girl looked up at her while Baron shut the car doors.

"What?"

"Do you have other people living here? Because I definitely heard someone."

Baron cocked his head toward the house, listening intently.

"You already called me a bird-brain, you idiot!"

Baron's eyebrows shot up.

"Emily, show Haru the bathroom, I'll go see who it is!" He ran around the house and leapt over the fence. Haru tried to follow him, but Emily had a firm grip on her hand.

"Don't worry about Daddy; he can take on whoever it is."

She reluctantly let the little girl drag her to the front door. She pressed her thumb against where the doorbell should have been, and a click was heard a second later.

"Isn't that a bit high-tech for a summer home?"

Emily shoved open the door and guided the tall brunette through a very nice living room and down a hall.

"Maybe, but Daddy doesn't like to take unnecessary chances. At least most of the time." She stopped at a door and opened it to a large bathroom. "If you'll wait for me right here when you're done changing, I won't have to go looking for you later."

"All right."

Of course, it only took her maybe ten seconds to strip to her bathing suit, and she got a little bored staring at the opposing wall. Wandering back to the living room, she spotted a photograph on the grand piano. Walking towards it, Haru could see it was a wedding portrait.

Baron looked great in a white suit, similar to the gray one that she had first seen him in. Her eyes strayed to the pale figure next to him. She was about a head shorter than him, and looked like a perfect porcelain doll in a pure-white gown, happily clutching her new husband's arm through a bouquet of white roses.

She also happened to look just like Haru, except for her deep emerald eyes.

"What do you think of her?"


	4. The Swimming Lesson

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Four: The Swimming Lesson

Haru jumped about a foot in the air, and turned to see Baron right behind her.

"Please don't sneak up like that!"

He chuckled amusingly, his yellow-green eyes still on her and the portrait. Haru looked back at Louise.

"If my parents were still alive, I'd nail them for keeping a twin sister secret from me!"

He shook his head at her.

"I can promise you that you are definitely not a relative of my late wife's. Even if you were, I highly doubt that she would have pulled what you did."

A purring sound came from his ankles, and Haru leaned down to scratch the enormous white cat behind the ears. He loved the attention from the newcomer.

"I take it she wasn't a huge fan of water either?"

"Let's just say that she took her fear to a far worse extreme than Emily attempts."

"Haru, you were supposed to wait for me in the hallway!"

The two turned to see Emily in an adorable emerald swimsuit that matched her eyes perfectly, and her long hair pulled back just like Haru's. She was attempting to look annoyed, but was obviously pleased that her teacher was talking to her dad on such a personal level.

"Muta, we're going to be playing in the water, so you might want to step away."

The white cat shot out from underneath Haru's fingertips, his ears flat against his head in annoyance.

"So his name's Muta? Hum, he looks just like a cat my parents used to talk about, only I doubt the weight is similar."

Muta decidedly ignored her and waddled over to the couch for a cat-nap. Baron chuckled slightly before leading the way out the back glass door.

"So who was it out there?"

"Just some troublemakers. They shouldn't be bothering us again, but I think it would be prudent for me to stay and watch the lesson."

"Good idea. That way you can stop me just in case I try to do something strange to Emily." She snickered sinisterly.

"Haru! I asked for you to teach me because I knew you wouldn't let me drown, at least."

They came out to a decent-sized pool that the teacher immediately deemed perfect for teaching a new student. There was even a diving board at the deep end, although she doubted that Emily would graduate fast enough to use it this year. She pulled a small notepad from her duffel bag that she had been carrying and carefully recorded the time before taking off her watch.

"You know, I started the clock when I picked you up."

She laid her bag aside to look at him.

"The car ride doesn't count as teaching, so I'll refuse payment. It's your car and your gas anyway."

Baron just started laughing at her.

"Haru, you are the only person I've ever met that tries to talk down her own paycheck!"

"I'm not trying to talk it down, I just don't want to take more than I earn."

He managed to control his mirth.

"All right, car rides are out of the time clock, but the fifteen minute break stays on."

Haru shook her head, smiling at his stubbornness.

"That's a fair compromise."

Emily giggled.

"Peter says it's scary when his parents fight, but this is kind of funny!"

Haru smiled at her while picking her up.

"Of course I'm not really your mom, so I don't count."

Emily's eyes saddened like she was hoping that fact would be forgotten, and then focused on where Haru was taking her.

"Uh, shouldn't we go through safety steps first?"

She was in front of the pool steps. Baron sat down in a poolside chair to watch the show.

"You know not to run around a pool?"

"Yes."

She took a step in.

"And not to swim unless an adult is with you?"

"Yes."

Haru took another step, Emily attempting to climb onto her neck to escape.

"Or to go into the deep end alone?"

"Yes."

The water was up to Haru's knees, and climbing up to her hips.

"Looks like you already know them then. Now, why are you afraid of water?"

Emily's arms locked around Haru's neck as she began to pace the water that was at the level of her hips.

"Because it's scary!"

"But why is it scary?"

The water was tickling her toes as she tried to escape.

"Because I nearly drowned!"

"According to your dad, you were scared of water before the accident, so what's another reason?"

"I don't know, I just am! It's in my blood! My mom hated water, my dad hates water-"

"So you're willing to let genetics take the blame for your fear? I saw your father when the accident happened; if I hadn't been in the water, he would have jumped off to save you. Do you think his fear would have stopped him if I hadn't been around?"

Emily looked over her shoulder at him, watching their every move and shamelessly listening to the private conversation.

"If I'm in danger, no force on earth could keep Daddy away."

The teacher smiled and rubbed her student's back comfortingly. Her father nodded in confirmation, his eyes full of love.

"You're his daughter. Don't you think that same potential is in you? If you had someone or something you love in danger, would you be able to live with yourself if you couldn't protect it because of your fear?"

Emily's eyes widened, and she failed to notice that the water was trailing up her legs.

"I know that's probably a bit too much to try to burden you with at your age, but if you are so set that you'll never be able to conquer the water, then we might as well climb out of the pool and let your dad drive me home."

"No!" That was going a little farther than Emily was willing to allow. If she let Haru go for good, than her father's master plan would have a much harder time of succeeding. She wanted this woman in her and her father's lives, and if that meant two hours a day in water for who knew how long, then so be it.

"I can learn! I may not like it, but I can do it!"

Haru stopped pacing the water to embrace her hard.

"I know you can. But you need to prove it to yourself."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Baron was plenty impressed with Haru's teaching techniques by the end of the first hour. By threatening to go home, she had replaced one of his daughter's fears with a worse one, possibly without realizing it. He stared at the two women in the pool, the older one keeping both hands underneath the younger as she learned how to float.

He had been expecting Haru to show up in a one-piece after her anti-bikini comment, but he didn't expect her to own a water skiing uniform that covered her from knees to elbows and neck. He wondered if she was any good at the sport…

A musical beeping came from her duffel bag, which was in the seat next to him.

"Could you answer that, Baron? The messaging gadget in my cell is busted."

He was a bit surprised that she trusted him enough to go through her bag, but saw it as a good sign. A little rifling through the side pocket produced the phone. He opened it up.

"Haru Amasawa's phone, Baron speaking."

"What are you doing with my girlfriend's phone?!"

Surprisingly, the girls didn't hear the bellowing voice.

"I take it this is Machida?"

Haru looked up, but kept her hands steady underneath her student.

"You bet this is Machida; where's my girlfriend?!"

"Right in front of me. She asked me to answer her phone since she's preoccupied with my daughter."

"Swimming lesson, right?"

"Right. Can I take a message?"

"Maybe later, what kind of swimsuit is Haru wearing?"

Baron took this as an order to check out her attire, making her blush slightly.

"Miss Amasawa is currently styling a black water skiing uniform with a single green streak running down her front from her left shoulder to her right hip."

"Hah, I got you! She owns a suit like that with a _blue_ stripe!"

Baron quirked an eyebrow at the phone, but decided to pass it on.

"Machida says that your outfit should have blue."

She looked really confused as she transferred Emily to one hip and walked to the side of the pool to retrieve the phone. He lowered it to her.

"I think your memory's going, because Hiromi's the one with the blue streak."

"Oh. Are you sure?"

"Yes. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't football practice mean that you practice football instead of calling girlfriends while they're at work?"

"I'm on break."

This reminded Haru of her own fifteen minute break, and she lifted Emily out of the pool, Baron stabilizing her as she found her footing.

"She can have something to drink, but if she eats something, then we'll have to wait half an hour before continuing."

Baron nodded, and ran into the house while she heaved herself onto the side of the pool.


	5. The CPR Scene

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Five: The CPR Scene

"Now that I'm on break too, what did you want to talk about?" Haru had settled comfortably in one of the chairs, Emily on her lap and wrapped in a towel.

"I just wanted to check on you, Baby. Wait; was he just watching you?"

"Sort of. There were some troublemakers running around earlier, so Baron's providing some protection in case they come back."

"Troublemakers, what kind?"

"The name-calling kind. I only heard a bird-brain comment before Baron drove them off."

"Has he tried anything?"

"Of course not; just like I said he wouldn't. He's been nothing but a perfect gentleman."

Emily smiled happily at her praise as her father returned with three tall glasses of iced lemonade on a small tray, which he placed on the table between the chairs. He grinned too, hearing the gentleman comment. Emily started sucking at the straw in her glass.

"I'm just saying that you need to be careful."

A shout was heard from his end, and a painful cry was heard. Haru laughed quietly.

"It sounds like I'm not the one that needs to be careful."

A violent scuffle was heard, along with her boyfriend's angry protests. The next words were plainly heard by the trio next to the pool, Haru taking the phone away from her ear to save it.

"I don't care who you are, but my players need to be undistracted, thank you very much!"

The phone went dead. The owner shut it and calmly sipped at her lemonade.

"Hey, this is really good!"

Baron just stared at her, Emily equally shocked.

"Why on earth did that man yell at you? You weren't the one responsible."

"Perhaps not, but things like that don't matter to the coach. Part of the reason I stopped going to practices."

Thus comforted, Baron took his own glass.

"You said Machida plays football?"

"American style. The game still doesn't make much sense to me, but I go to the games to support him, not because I give a care about the sport."

"The game makes perfect sense to me; injure as many people as possible while carrying a misshapen ball across the battlefield. Whoever does the most of both wins the game."

Haru covered her mouth quickly to stop the lemonade from spitting back out, her giggles turning into coughs. Luckily, Baron had brought a few napkins out with him, which he immediately handed over with a grin. Good thing she was already dressed to get wet.

"Now that you mention it, that's exactly what it looks like! It's an underground conspiracy to train boys for the military!"

He managed to laugh with a bit more dignity than she did.

"So that's why they need to be so aggressive! This is most enlightening."

Haru struggled desperately to control herself.

"I should feel terrible, slamming Machida's passion like this. Even if he openly jokes about mine."

That caught Baron's attention.

"Well, what's yours?"

She sighed.

"Just about anything that involves fabric or yarn. I have one semester left before I get my major in clothing and textiles."

Baron's smile grew.

"So you're an artisan?"

Haru laughed, catching the reference while Emily cuddled closer. She wrapped her arms around the tiny girl.

"I guess so, although nothing I've made came to life."

"Are you certain?"

"Fairly. I've never done a project that consumes me the way Mom described writing Whisper of the Heart."

Baron's smile faded slightly.

"You know, my parents were so impressed by that book they couldn't resist naming me after the main character. It's not too often that someone uses our surname in a story."

Haru smiled back at him.

"It's nice, knowing that someone outside my family likes that book. Mom poured her heart and soul into writing it, and she was always disappointed that so few copies ever sold."

A dark crow flew over their heads and settled over one of the back windows.

"Hi, Toto!" Emily waved happily at the bird, which seemed to bow for her. Haru turned to Baron, an unspoken question on her lips.

"He's a friend that likes to stop by from time to time. I guess he wanted to watch the lesson."

"Oh. Sorry, but we're on break!"

The crow didn't seem to mind waiting for them. Baron checked his watch.

"I guess the break's about over."

Haru lifted one hand to pull the towel off of Emily when she gave a violent jerk.

"I forgot! Baron, do you have a dummy lying around?"

The crow on top of the house started cawing uncontrollably, like he was laughing. Baron glared at him, like he knew what the crow was thinking.

"If you mean a life-size doll, than I'm afraid not."

She gestured to the concrete floor next to the chairs.

"Then, would you mind lying down? I forgot something that Emily really needs to know."

He looked confused, but did as he was asked. Haru picked up her student and set her on the other side of her father.

"Now, let's say you found someone next to water, or rescued someone from water. That person is unconscious."

His eyebrows shot up, realizing what she was about to demonstrate, and he turned a deep red. Haru laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart speed out of control.

"Relax, Baron. You put your head on the person's chest like this, and keep your face away from theirs in order to hear if they have a heartbeat or if that person is breathing. If they aren't, you need to take steps."

If she didn't know for a fact that his heart couldn't stop beating while he was alive, she would have sworn that it did just then; heavy with anxiety. He obviously hadn't thought about this part of the education when he hired her. Haru moved to Baron's head and tilted it back, Emily carefully observing every move her teacher made. Her father closed his eyes, attempting to at least look the part.

"You tilt the head back like this, and make sure there is nothing clogging his throat, like seaweed or whatever."

She stuck two fingers gently into Baron's mouth and swung them around to press his tongue against the floor of his mouth. He winced, just wanting her to get to the next part.

"Then you pinch their nostrils together with these fingers, and put your lips over theirs to breathe for them."

Emily gasped, and she leaned in close to fully witness the next part. Baron could feel Haru's shadow pass over his face, and her leaning toward him.

'_Oh yes, the swimming lessons were a stroke of genius…' _He felt her breathe against his lips, but then withdraw. He cracked one eye open to see what the hold up was. Haru's hands were now over his heart, one making a fist under the other.

"After you breathe for them-"

"Hey! You didn't breathe for Daddy!"

Haru giggled.

"I think Machida would kill me for kissing another guy, even if it's educational. Besides, you get the idea of how to do it."

"Not completely."

She glanced at her student, a sly smile on her face.

"I think you just want me to make out with your dad." She glanced at him and apologetically squeezed his shoulder. "Sorry; unless you need CPR, I won't actually perform it."

His eyes strayed over to the pool, the speculative look on his face making Haru blush and giggle again.

"Don't you even think about it, Baron. Now, after you breathe for them…"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When Haru eventually let Baron up, being mock-performed on several times by both girls, she kissed him once on the cheek. Emily squealed with delight.

"That's for being a good sport. What time is it?" Fighting back the cloud of fireflies dancing inside him and the blush on his cheeks, he glanced at his watch.

"Oh my. We ran a half-hour over time."

Haru's eyebrows shot up. She retrieved her notepad and scribbled in the time, Emily looking perplexed.

"But we just brought her here!"

Her instructor laughed and hugged her before heading into the house. As she opened the back door, Muta stepped out and purred at her again. She noticed that the cat had been keeping a vigil at the glass, probably watching their every move. She scratched his ears again.

"Enjoying the show, Muta?"

He purred at her again as she closed the door behind her. As soon as he heard the bathroom door close within, he let out the full-belly laughs that he had been stifling, the crow doing no better.

"I like her already, Baron!" Toto covered his beak with one wing, trying to keep his mirth under control. Muta didn't bother with silencing his laughter. Baron nearly ran around the pool in order to silence him.

"The look on your face when you thought she was going to kiss you, and then didn't! It was priceless!"

Baron crossed one arm over his mouth.

"Will you be quiet? You almost blew our cover once already, remember?"

Emily walked over to the men, Toto sailing down to the planter beside the house.

"But she did kiss Daddy, so that's a good thing."

Baron turned to his daughter, a slightly silly grin on his face.

"You better change out of your swimsuit too, sweetheart. I doubt she's ready to learn the truth about us yet."


	6. The Storm

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Six: The Storm

"So what's this special festival I keep reading about?" Baron asked Haru in the pool, one week after the first lesson. She was balancing Emily's shoulders while the tiny girl practiced kicking as hard as she could. She was wearing a pink swimsuit today, while Haru had been sticking with the water skiing outfit to ward off Machida's protests.

"The Renaissance Fair happens once every year for three days. There are a bunch of stalls where people can buy souvenirs or food while watching the tournaments. It's always a lot of fun."

Toto and Muta were still present at each lesson, waiting for their daily dose of comedy. And they usually got it while Haru was around.

"I take it you frequent such fairs?"

"Of course. My work always sells best at places like that, because I can catch people in the mood for something special at those times. I've been working on this event's stash of products for months."

Emily turned around to look at Haru.

"Do we get to wear costumes?"

"You bet. That's the main reason most people go. It's slightly on the comical side to watch teenage boys clank around in full armor and expect to stay upright without practice."

The little girl giggled.

"Can we go, Daddy? It sounds like lots of fun!"

He laughed.

"If nothing else, we'll finally be able to see what Haru does when we don't monopolize her time."

She blushed slightly.

"All I do is sit behind a stall and sell stuff while making sarcastic comments about the outfits. It's not exactly an in-depth thing."

Toto suddenly cocked his head to the sky, and started cawing like mad. Muta tried to swipe at him, but the crow sailed toward Baron, still making a huge fuss.

"What is it, Toto?" The blonde couldn't figure out the bird's strange behavior. Haru looked into the sky, noting the unusual clouds. She gasped softly, and dragged Emily from the water.

"Baron! Get inside now!"

He blinked, but grabbed her bag while getting to his feet.

"Do you know what Toto's trying to say?" he asked as Haru leapt inside the open door, Muta still sitting where he was before.

"How does a hailstorm sound to you?"

He paled, noting the subtle nod from the bird overhead as he took long strides across his back porch, Muta nearly leaving scratch marks on the concrete from running to safety. He was the last one into the house, even Toto beating him through the doorway as tiny pebbles began to fall from the sky. Haru saw the upper banister had previous claw marks, and decided not to make a fuss over the crow being in the house. Baron securely closed the door behind him, watching the ripples in the pool grow bigger. Haru's cell phone went off. She fished around the bag Baron was still holding for her.

"Hello?"

"Baby, are you okay?" It was Machida.

"Yeah, I got a little advance warning."

"I thought you were good with weather patterns."

"I was a little distracted by the swimming lesson. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, all this padding made the hail bearable until we could get to shelter. Hiromi's a little black and blue though."

"Make sure you get to somewhere extra safe, because the green clouds say a tornado's possible."

Emily gasped and held tighter onto her neck. Toto managed to nod his head at a questioning Baron without attracting attention.

"You find somewhere safe too. Wait; how big is the hail where you are?"

Haru glanced out the glass door again.

"Marble-sized, and still growing."

"What are you going to do?"

She looked at her employer.

"Probably hang out with Baron and Emily until it blows over. The roads can't be too pretty right now."

"Hold it, I'm drawing the line-" the line went dead, cutting off his protests. She clicked the phone shut and faced the crow settled above her head.

"Thanks for the warning, Toto. That hail looks pretty nasty."

He bowed for her, and she couldn't help but feel that he understood her completely. Emily sneezed once.

"Oh, shoot." Haru grabbed her bag from Baron and gave him a grateful smile. "Don't want the wet kitten to get sick. Show me where your room is, Emily."

Muta and Toto didn't bother to say anything to Baron after the girls disappeared down the hallway and a door was heard to be closed. Their sly looks said everything. Baron busied himself with taking a paper towel to the wet spot that Haru had been standing on while talking on the phone. They decided to say something anyway.

"This is awfully convenient," Muta murmured softly, an evil gleam in his eye.

"It's possible that the roads will be so bad, she can't go home." Toto snickered.

"Which means she'll have to stay for a night."

"All alone with a man in an isolated house nearly in the mountains."

"Along with a daughter, cat, and bird." Baron reminded them before they got too carried away with their fantasy. "Not to mention the fact that she's seeing someone else, who will more than likely call every five minutes to make sure I don't try anything with _his_ girl."

"I don't know; the phone_ did_ go dead on her. He might not be able to contact her until tomorrow morning." Muta's evil grin threatened to split his face in half.

"Besides," Baron continued without looking either of them in the eye, "I wouldn't do what you two are thinking of, even if she happened to be interested. I'll just keep the radio on for weather reports."

"What are you doing, Baron? Haru's practically been thrown into your lap, and you're not going to do anything about it?"

The tall human tossed the wet paper away before addressing the crow above him, a small smile slipping onto his face.

"Who says I'm not going to do anything?"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When Haru and Emily reappeared in regular clothing to the living room, Baron was messing with a CD player, trying to find a station that was broadcasting the weather.

"Any luck?"

He turned to face Haru, a grim expression on his face.

"Nothing yet."

Emily tugged on his sleeve, a thick gray blanket falling over one of her shoulders.

"Daddy, is Haru going to spend the night?"

He laid one hand on her head.

"If she needs to, she's welcome to sleep on the couch."

The wind worsened outside, the hail pummeling the windows that were miraculously standing firm.

"Thanks, Baron. Machida's probably biting his nails off as is." Haru giggled and sat on the couch, experimentally checking it for springiness. Emily brightened and started tugging on her father's sleeve again.

"Daddy, Haru says that if you say okay, she'll make my costume for the fair!"

He looked at her with surprise.

"I believe the fair is in three days; will you have time to make your own?"

"My outfit's been ready for two months. I've never dressed a little girl before, and I'd really like to give it a shot."

He smiled warmly.

"Please feel free." Baron was well-rewarded by the happy shriek of his daughter as she jumped onto Haru's lap, the older woman looking just as ecstatic as she squeezed the tiny girl.

"Good thing I always carry a tape measure with me."


	7. The Scared Kitten

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Seven: The Scared Kitten

An extra loud clash of thunder woke Haru somewhere around three a.m., lightening the dark living room. She sat up straight, the borrowed blanket falling to her lap. Baron's couch had been extremely comfortable, and she felt reluctant to leave it. Earlier, when Emily was getting measured for her medieval outfit, she asked her father why their guest wasn't sleeping in one of the guest bedrooms. Haru had answered for him.

"Because Machida will feel more comfortable knowing I slept on a couch." She decided not to go into details about the why. Besides, Baron had done all the wrong things to be romancing her. He made ordinary macaroni and cheese from a box for their dinner, although he had to make an extra one for Muta, who preferred human food to cat. He brought out flashlights instead of candles when the power went out, and carried a sleepy-eyed Emily to bed after making sure Haru was comfortable for the night.

'_I wonder if even Machida would behave so well, if I had been at his house when the hail came.'_ If anything, she had been hitting on Baron more than he was on her. He obviously didn't mind playing a drowning victim, although he did look disappointed that she didn't give him the full treatment.

But nothing said that she needed to kiss him on the cheek for good behavior. She didn't even kiss Machida on the cheek until three months after they started dating, and the reason for them getting together didn't count, since she would have done that to anyone else in that situation. Looking at the chair next to her, she could see Muta curled up and snoozing, and Toto was obviously comatose on his perch. The thunder outside clashed again, the rain beating mercilessly against the glass.

_Emily._

The thought came so randomly that Haru understood what it meant. She was an old friend of this kind of random thoughts and desires. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and slowly got off the couch so that the hidden springs wouldn't wake the sleeping animals. Creeping as softly as she could, she made her way down the hallway to Emily's room. Passing one intimidating door, she couldn't help but wonder if Baron was on the other side. Shaking away the blush, Haru slowly opened up one door and pushed it open.

Another lightning bolt stretched across the sky, clearly showing her an ideal little girl's room, set up in a country garden theme done in pastels. Multiple stuffed cats were all over the dresser, tiny rocking chair, and surrounding a small bed, obviously fallen from the shaking folds of a quilt bundled around a lump in the middle. Now that she was this close, Haru could hear the stifled sobs. Smiling, she quietly made her way to the bed and gently rubbed at the lump.

"Emily," she whispered. The bundle stopped shaking. "Are you afraid of lightning too?" She peeled back a corner of the blanket, but the tiny girl snatched it back inexplicably, not even allowing her hand outside the feeble protection.

"Yes. I was trying not to wake you up."

Sighing, Haru transferred the blanket wrapped bundle from the bed into her arms, and then sat down on the bed to comfort the child.

"I was awake anyway. Kitten, you know that you can come to me if you're scared."

The little girl stiffened.

"I'm not a kitten."

"No, but you're similar to one. You love to play and cuddle like a kitten, but you also get scared like one. There's nothing wrong with that, or with coming to me or your dad for help. You're a little young to try to conquer your fears alone." Haru hugged the wrapped up girl and rubbed her back soothingly. Emily slowly relaxed, eventually loosening her hold on the blanket enough for Haru to see the shape of her face in the shadows.

"I'm scared that the lightning will take me to be with the angels."

Haru understood that was how Baron described Louise's death, or perhaps death in a general term. She kept hugging Emily, trying to ward off the fear as thunder rumbled again. The tiny girl trembled under the blanket as Haru squeezed her gently.

"Haru? Do you believe in angels?"

The older woman smiled and opened the blanket enough to peek at the face inside.

"Absolutely."

Emily pulled the quilt from her face slightly.

"Have you ever seen one?"

"Several, although I can think of a few people that would deny it if I tried to tell them."

"What did they look like?"

Haru sat Emily straighter on her lap to lock eyes with her.

"Here's something that you're going to have to learn sooner or later, Kitten. Angels don't always fly around in flowing white robes playing harps. They often look like regular people, and they perform small miracles like making someone smile when they've had a rotten day, or fixing a flat tire in the rain. If you want to talk about the flying kind, they can't be seen, only felt."

The tiny girl slowly unwrapped her head from the blanket to look at Haru.

"What do you mean?"

The woman sighed, trying to think of a good way to describe it.

"Do you ever get the urge to do something that feels completely senseless at the time, but you find out later that it was a good thing?"

Emily thought hard.

"Well, one time, my friend Sarah looked really sad at school, and I wanted to give her my favorite doll. But then I didn't want to at the same time. I ended up giving it to her, and she was so happy that I didn't mind giving up the doll. I found out later that her puppy died, and Sarah said she felt like she had lost her only friend in the world until I gave her the toy."

Haru grinned widely and hugged her again.

"That's a perfect example. You can't see those angels, but you can feel them urging you to do something. And when you do it, they take your heart for a ride on their wings."

Emily brightened.

"Yeah, that's exactly how I felt! I was so light that I could have flown to the moon!"

Her companion grinned.

"That's how they say thank you."

Emily thought of something else while cuddling closer to her friend.

"Haru, do you think my mom's an angel?"

She brushed a few locks of hair from the little girl's face.

"If bringing you into the world didn't ensure her a pair of wings, then I can't think of a single thing that can." A different warmth flowed through her body, making her spirit soar. Haru smiled, guessing who was sending her the good vibes. "In fact, I think she's the reason we met."

Emily's eyes widened.

"You think my mom told you to jump into the water after me?"

"Oh no, I told myself to do that. But a few minutes before you fell, I got this uncontrollable desire to go to the other side of the yacht. Eventually, my friend steered over there to silence me, and we could see you falling towards the water. Poor Molly; she was convinced that I had some sixth sense or power to see through metal. She doesn't believe in angels."

Emily worked free enough of her blanket cocoon to wrap her arms around Haru's waist.

"Are your parents angels?"

She smiled warmly.

"You bet. Angels or mortals, they still like to swing by and bug me for not going to bed on time or something like that. I guess even death isn't powerful enough to keep some people from their loved ones."

The little girl relaxed in her arms, and she slowly drifted asleep. Hearing a slight sound from the door, Haru looked up. Baron was standing in the doorway, tears streaming down his face. He was wearing a tunic-style white shirt, loose at the neck, and matching pajama pants. Haru couldn't help but feel nervous about seeing him like this.

'_How long was he listening?' _

As softly as he could, he walked over to the bed and hugged her around the shoulders. His voice was thick from struggling not to cry.

"Thank you. Thank you… for being our angel."

Haru was stunned.

'_I guess, by my own definition, that's exactly who and what I am.'_ She would have reached up and squeezed his shoulders if she didn't have Emily occupying her arms. Baron struggled to speak again.

"Emily doesn't have any memories of Louise. She died from giving our daughter birth, she was so fragile. The only reason Emily has a clue about her mother is because I keep plenty of pictures around and tell her stories."

Unable to hug him, Haru leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I guess Louise didn't want her daughter to grow up without female guidance."

Baron smiled at her, still tearing a bit. He kissed her forehead before leaving the room.

"Among other things."

She blushed a bit, realizing the role he wanted her to play.

'_But I'm not a mother! I hardly have any experience with raising children.'_ She attempted to settle the girl back into bed without waking her, but she squirmed and tightened her grip on Haru's waist. She sighed and settled as comfortably as she could on the small bed, drawing the spare blanket around herself and the bundle in her arms. _'Am I doing the right thing with my life?'_

Her eyes strayed to a picture on the nightstand. Louise was wearing a lavender summer dress, leaning against a tree with a book in one hand while the other caressed her swollen belly. She had turned toward the camera with a surprised but delighted face, like the photographer had snuck up on her. It was probably Baron. Haru whispered softly to the picture.

"Is this what you want me to do, Louise? Mother your child?"

A second wave of warmth spread over her like a tidal wave, the loving vibes making her sob softly, trying her best not to wake anyone else up. She tightened her grip on Emily, who shifted slightly but continued to sleep peacefully, despite the noise from outside.


	8. The Maze

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Eight: The Maze

"And, up for round one hundred and forty-six, it's Machida Mishizu against Haru Amasawa!" Tsuge was acting as a referee and judge for the match, which was drawing a surprising number of spectators. He was sitting in the announcer's box with Hiromi, Baron, and Emily over the gym, an intimidating obstacle course set up. Toto and Muta had to stay home, since pets weren't allowed on college campus grounds. Haru and Machida were doing stretch exercises on one side of the course. Tsuge was gripping the announcer's microphone and talking like he was on the radio for a horse race.

"This time the stakes are high; if Machida wins, then Haru will have to quit her job as a swimming coach to-" he turned to the little girl on Baron's lap for help.

"Emily von Gikkingen," she supplied. He grinned his thanks.

"-Emily von Gikkingen, who happens to have a single father that's making Machida more than a little nervous!"

Baron ignored the stares and muffled laughs from the spectators to question Hiromi next to him.

"Do they seriously do this every time they fight?"

She tore her eyes from the competitors.

"To an extent. Most of the time they have milk-chugging contests or something simple like that. I think Machida chose sports as the game this time to get the most edge on Haru."

He glanced back at her on the gym floor, expertly stretching out her legs.

"Which do you think will win?"

Hiromi didn't hesitate.

"Machida. He's been working out every day, and Haru's been playing in water or knitting socks."

"Just socks?"

"It's a generalization, but he will undoubtedly win. All the preparation is just a formality."

His daughter looked back at him worriedly.

"Daddy, is that true?"

He smiled and squeezed her.

"Don't give up on Haru before the game starts. She told us to trust her, and I intend to do so."

Tsuge shrugged and took the mike from his mouth for a second.

"Trust her all you want, but I'm with Hiromi. Haru might as well hand in her resignation right now and save herself the trouble later. Besides, you can always find another swimming coach."

Baron smiled and turned his head back to the woman that captured his heart so effortlessly.

"True, but I'd rather stick with this one. Emily would walk through fire if Haru asked her to."

The little girl on his lap grinned guiltily.

"You would too, Daddy."

He didn't bother to hide his blush, since Hiromi and Tsuge already knew he felt that way about their friend. The red head shook her head at him in disgust.

"Why don't you just leave Haru alone? You're causing Machida a lot of grief."

"If he can't trust her, than he doesn't deserve her. I haven't flirted with Haru a single time since I found out she was seeing someone, even when I really wanted to."

One of those times was when he found her making caramel pecan rolls (cinnamon rolls in caramel pecan sauce) for breakfast that morning, shortly before Machida called to check on her. Emily had caught Muta locking the door while Haru's back was turned so she couldn't get away, and Baron didn't have the heart to scold him. He secretly wished that the storm had lasted longer, so that he wouldn't have to come up with an excuse for her to stay. Tsuge turned back to the microphone.

"The rules are simple. The obstacle course is set up like a labyrinth, with two prizes at the heart of it. There are several students to provide more of a challenge by switching dead ends. The first one out of the end of the maze with a prize in hand will win the fight!"

The so-called prizes were two ordinary erasers on a desk; all three objects taken from one of the classrooms, and the longer walls of the labyrinth were up righted tables with sheets strung between them. There were also people moving around and holding up sheets to provide the added challenge. As an added bonus, there were a few large wooden structures in the middle, constructed from various gym equipment.

"Isn't this a bit much for a lovers' quarrel?" Baron asked. Hiromi shrugged.

"Machida and Haru's fight competitions are a great source of amusement for the general student body. The only reason more people aren't showing up is because of the short notice."

Tsuge nodded and turned on some rock n' roll, but Baron could see Haru putting earphones on, like she wanted to listen to something else. Machida grinned confidently and bowed low for her at the entrance.

"Ladies first."

She mock-curtsied for him, since she was wearing blue jeans, and entered. He waited a few seconds before entering himself.

"So, how long have they been seeing each other?" Baron asked semi-casually, watching the two try to unravel the maze. Hiromi smiled sadly at him.

"It's nearly been a year. She's had a crush on him since high school, but he didn't notice her that way until the college water-skiing trip last summer. She saved his life when he bumped his head and then fell into the water. She had to do CPR on him, it was so romantic."

Baron's face fell as he watched Haru reach the obstacles in the maze. She firmly gripped a pole hanging horizontally and heaved herself onto it. She scanned the maze layout from her perch before climbing down onto a platform facing monkey bars. She scaled those with ease, coming to a long hallway that was riddled with moving sacks of garbage wheeled around by hidden students.

Moving her body like an Arabian dancer, Haru easily snaked her way between the dense bags. All of the male audience whistled and applauded in appreciation, and Baron couldn't help but groan with pleasure watching her close in on the prize, Machida still lost near the front. He shook his head at his own foolishness.

"Confound it, why did she have to be taken?!"

She was perfect, and the only thing holding him back was the shaggy-haired buffoon that had just found the hanging pole, but forsook it to head straight for the monkey bars.

Hiromi and Tsuge didn't bother to answer him, too absorbed in the game. While Machida was getting pummeled by the large bags, Haru was taking her eraser and heading toward the second half of the labyrinth.

The taunting calls from the audience told Machida about the growing distance between him and his girlfriend, and he ran faster. Jamming the eraser into his pocket, he started intentionally crashing into the sheet walls and students in order to catch up with Haru.

She was at the end of the large wooden structure, facing the twin gymnastic poles. She powdered her hands with the loose chalk dust from the eraser before sticking it in her pocket and tackling the poles. Baron watched in amazement as her body wrapped around them, doing a few fancy flips in the air before she sailed perfectly off and solidly landing on her feet like a cat.

"Since when can Haru do _that_?" Hiromi asked out loud, her eyes huge with disbelief as her friend took the few last steps towards the exit, Machida still far behind from fighting off sheets and the students still holding onto them.

"You're_ cheating_!" one student protested as he tried to keep his grip on his end. He threw off the kid with the same emotion he showed with fly-swatting, he stormed toward the exit, his hands slamming against the gymnast poles as he passed them.

"She's the one that cheated! She was listening to those things." Machida grabbed at her earphones and put them to his ears. He scowled. "Violins again, Haru? Don't you listen to anything else?"

She gently pried his hands off her property with a smile.

"Sure, but instrumentals are my favorite. You already knew that, and there was no rule saying I had to listen to the music you picked out."

"Miss Amasawa has made a valid point!" Tsuge announced to everyone else. "Regardless of Mr. Mishizu's blatant disregard for the rules of conduct, Haru was still the first one out of the maze with the prize, and as such is the winner!"

One of the students that got taken for a ride by Machida limped over to her and lifted one hand high with the eraser still in it. The crowd applauded her; stunned that she had won so effortlessly. Machida scowled again.

"You've been working out."

"Actually, I haven't. I just feel great today." She bent herself backward into a pretzel, making some people in the audience gawk in disbelief. "Now if you don't mind, I promised to take a little girl fabric shopping after the match, and I don't intend to disappoint her."

Machida was about to protest when a bulky man came behind him and gripped his ear firmly.

"All right, if you lost to your girlfriend when she hasn't been working out, than I need to work you harder."

The quarterback groaned as he was taken from the gym floor. Emily practically skipped all the way down to her coach and into her arms.

"Hiromi and Tsuge said that you would lose, but Daddy said not to give up on you, and you won!"

She squeezed the girl as she left the gym.

"It's nice to know someone still has faith in me."


	9. The Brunette's First Love

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Nine: The Brunette's First Love

"Hey, Haru!" Hiromi had somehow found her best friend and Emily inside one of the more common fabric stores. The two had already decided on a dress pattern and were debating on the color of the fabric.

"Hey, Hiromi! I hear you've been rooting against me." She touched a yellow experimentally, but then decided against it, Emily balanced on her hip.

"Can you blame me? Since when are you an acrobat?"

Her friend shrugged as she ran her fingers over the rainbow of fabrics.

"I guess since today. What about that red?"

Emily pulled a face.

"Nah, I don't like it." She wiggled free in order to explore a different area. Hiromi pulled a face as the brunettes continued to argue over possible colors.

"Just what are you doing?"

"Trying to find the right color for Emily's dress for the fair."

"Haru, that's the day after tomorrow."

"I know, but the pattern we picked out is fairly simple, so it should be done for last adjustments by tomorrow."

"Do you realize what you're doing?"

The brunette turned to face her slightly-steamed friend.

"You're acting like that kid's mom!"

"Is something wrong with that?"

"Yes! Are you her mom?"

"No, but her real mom doesn't mind at all."

"Where is she?"

Emily piped up, fingering a green velvet.

"Mommy's an angel."

Hiromi looked at her, a little humbled.

"What did she look like?"

"Haru with my eyes, but Mommy hated water."

Hiromi glared at her friend.

"And what does Daddy think of Haru mothering you?"

"He says that she's a good role model for me, since she's what he wants me to grow up like."

The brunette in question blushed hard.

"Haru, can't you see what he's trying to do? He's using his daughter to get to you!"

"Actually, he hasn't tried anything like that. He's completely respectful of my boyfriend's territory."

"Are you aware that he's behind the other aisle?"

A guilty scuffle confirmed it.

"Of course I'm aware, but at least he's giving the illusion that he isn't shadowing us. Hiromi, he's content, but not ecstatic, about just staying friends. Shoot, if he can behave himself in a situation like last night when just about any other guy would have taken advantage of my predicament, I think he's trustworthy."

Hiromi shook her head.

"I don't know why, but his name sounds very familiar, like I used to know it."

"That's because he's named after the main character of my mom's first book."

Hiromi blinked disbelievingly.

"That cat doll you had a huge crush on growing up?!"

Several stacks of fabric fell over behind the girls, who politely ignored the noise. On the other side of the aisle, Baron scrambled to his feet quickly to follow where the conversation was headed.

"You had a crush on Daddy?" Emily's eyes went big and hopeful. Haru laughed.

"No, Kitten. I had a crush on the character your dad was named after, although I can see why you would mix up the two. The only difference between them is species."

Emily laughed uneasily at her mistake.

"And the fact that one is flesh and blood that you've met while the other is a carved piece of wood that you've only heard and read about." Hiromi was quick to point out.

"Ah, but the carved piece of wood was extremely cool." Haru snatched a long crochet hook from the rack and held it like a sword. "Just how many real humans can you name that cross a blade or cane with dangerous villains and win, do daring deeds without losing his cool-"

"Haru!" Hiromi had had enough, having heard the speech several times before. She snatched the hook that her friend had started waving around and put it back in its place. She took several steadying breaths before speaking again.

"The cat doll your great-grandfather owned was never alive. He can't do anything that your mother wrote about, because he's a chunk of painted wood that's probably destroyed by now. Instead of gushing over a guy that never had and never will exist outside of your childish fantasies, why don't you focus on something solid for just once?!"

Emily gasped, and her eyes started to tear up. Baron tightened his grip on the cool metal of the rack, hurt beyond the stinging words.

The older brunette locked eyes with her friend for a few seconds, determined to make a point.

"To you, the first Baron will always be a painted piece of wood. But to me, he's the definition of what men could and ought to be. I didn't crush on him as a child because he's a bit of a daredevil, although I did find it attractive, but because he was a perfect gentleman that treated every woman he met with kindness and respect, even though he was already in love with his fiancé. If believing a guy like that can exist is a silly childhood dream, then I hope never to grow up or wake up."

Seeing something at Hiromi's shoulder, her hand shot out. The red head leapt to the side, convinced that the angry woman was about to hit her. Imagine the surprise when Haru pulled a soft lavender fabric from the shelf Hiromi had been standing in front of. The brunette held the bolt across Emily's front and close to her stunned face.

"I really like this color on you, Kitten. What do you think?"

The little girl didn't answer, her emerald eyes about to overflow with tears.

"Oh, sweetie." Haru laid the fabric aside and embraced the little girl. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

Tiny arms found their way around her neck and squeezed. Hiromi, surprised that Haru had chewed her out for mocking a doll neither of them had ever seen, quietly left the store. Behind the aisle, Baron's heart had all the poison of Hiromi's words extracted, and Haru's were like a soothing balm over the emotional wound.

'_Well, I did always admire a young woman that speaks from the heart.'_ He peaked at the two women in his life, embracing hard while sitting on the linoleum floor.

"Did you mean that all men should be like Daddy?" The little girl whispered. Haru made soothing noises while stroking her hair.

"Since the two Barons are so similar, that's exactly what I mean. Come on, any guy that can pass an overnight test with flying colors the way your dad did is definitely a good model for the rest of the male population."

The last traces of damage Hiromi had done evaporated in an instant, making Baron feel a little light-headed. He _knew_ not making a move would be the best move into winning her favor. Emily rubbed the last of her tears away with her sleeve to look at the fabric picked out.

"I like that color too, Haru."

"Good, now we need to find a satiny white for contrast and a bit of gold rope to tie around your waist."

A little more sifting produced the promised items, and the older woman grabbed matching thread on the way to the front counter.

"You know what's funny, Kitten?" Haru asked conversationally as the clerk measured out the fabric.

"What?"

"If Mom hadn't read about the cat doll to me for bedtime stories, I would have turned out very different."

"What do you mean?"

Baron cocked an ear in their direction as he straightened the bolts he had knocked over earlier.

"You know how the Baron in the story likes to talk about belief in oneself and not having to fear?"

"Daddy likes to say that a lot too."

"Well, I took his advice to heart. Every time I got scared of something, I could almost hear those words, and it would make me want to be brave. Mom and Dad always thought it was funny that if they told me to face something scary, I wouldn't do it unless they quoted Baron first. They thought my crush on him was just too adorable. If I didn't know about the cat doll as a kid, I might not have been able to rescue you. Water used to terrify me."

Baron's hands froze on the last bolt. _He_ made her this way? He peeked around the aisle to see them leave the store and order ice cream across the street so that he could semi-innocently approach them. Should he tell Haru the truth now? No, it would just make things harder on her.

Machida was still in the picture.


	10. The Sun Maiden

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Ten: The Sun Maiden

Baron fixed the plumed hat on his head and looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. He had picked out a black outfit with spiked white edging with matching boots and a navy cape that had a red underlining. As a finishing touch, he had a polished steel mask to frame his eyes. He couldn't resist adding a pair of white gloves, since he still felt almost naked without them.

'_Purr-fect.'_ He laughed at his own thoughts, a trace of cat still evident. He hoped that Haru would like his outfit. To be honest, he would probably like hers even if she showed up in a potato sack. A tiny hand knocked on the door.

"Daddy, are you ready?"

Instead of answering, he opened the door to look at Emily. Haru had worked magic with the dress for his daughter. If Baron wanted to, he could visit an old royal friend and not have to worry about what his court would say about his daughter's appearance. Most of the dress was the soft lavender they had admired at the store, the skirt opening at the front to show off the satiny white under dress, the gold rope around her waist echoing the gold circlet with tiny beaded flowers that Haru had made as part of her wares and insisted Emily wore on her brow. She excitedly played with her long sleeves.

"You look cool, Daddy! Can we go pick up Haru now?"

Since Machida's coach was still working him over for letting his girlfriend beat him, she had asked Baron to drive her and her wares to the fair grounds. She should know by now that he couldn't deny her anything. His heart ached as he helped Emily into her seat in the car, Muta scrambling into the seat next to her.

"I'm not being left out this time," he grumbled. "I want to see your face the first time you see Haru in a skirt."

Toto was obviously planning on coming as well, but would use his wings as transportation.

"And since the fair's outside, there's no reason we can't tag along."

Baron shrugged and started the car. As long as they didn't blow their secret, he didn't mind.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Baron and Emily stood outside Haru's door, ready to enter for the first time, since she had always met them outside before for lessons. The caped man knocked firmly three times.

"Coming!" they heard her call from inside, and the shuffling of feet. When the door opened, Baron was unable to look away as a blush snuck back onto his cheeks. Haru was in a flowing lemon-yellow gown (Not like the one from the movie) a similar design to Emily's, with sleeves that trailed nearly to the ground. She had left her hair down for once flowing over her shoulders, and a modest gold circlet covered her brow. When she smiled happily, the tawny haired man could have sworn that the sun was standing in her doorway.

"Cool outfit, Baron! The mask is a nice touch."

Emily hopped up and down until the golden woman picked her up.

"You look like a princess, Haru!"

She beamed at the child and held her close.

"So do you, Kitten. Well, come in!"

She stepped aside, and Muta waddled into her apartment with an evil smirk back to Baron, who might as well have been turned back into wood in front of Haru's door. She looked at him, puzzled as to why he wasn't even breathing, and then turned red with embarrassment.

"Oh Baron, I'm sorry. I'll go change into jeans now." She felt terrible for making things harder on him. She turned into her apartment to do as promised when he broke free enough of her spell to reach out and grab her hand. Emily had already wiggled free of her grasp to explore her place.

"No, Haru. It's fine."

She turned back to face him, the concern evident.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. There's nothing wrong with you looking wonderful."

She blushed again, secretly relieved that her hard work wouldn't go to waste. Emily bounced up to them, a frame in hand.

"Daddy, look! Haru looks like me in this picture!"

Baron regretfully released her hand to take the picture from his daughter. He looked at it carefully, a small smile creeping back onto his face.

"This is fairly close to how I pictured your parents."

She smiled a bit sadly, and took the picture from him. As she placed the picture back on the shelf, Emily gasped and grabbed her father's hand.

"Daddy! Look over there!"

He followed where she was pointing, and his heart stopped. Turning around, Haru could see what they were staring at. Her smile returned.

"Do you like it?"

Next to a window near her small couch, a quilted wall hanging stood prominently. It was a tall rectangle, featuring a cat couple dressed like British nobility. Their arms were intertwined lovingly, the white girl cat leaning her head on the orange boy cat's shoulder in contentment. The orange cat had a blissful smile as he leaned his head on hers, the gray top hat balancing nicely on his head.

"I made that for my great-grandfather shortly before he died, so that he could see the two cat figurines together again. He gave me all the details he could remember so that it could be as accurate as possible."

Baron stepped closer to the wall hanging, tracing the girl cat's face with his finger and a lost look in his face. Emily looked at the white cat too, tears threatening to overflow.

"Is that how they looked, Daddy?"

He leaned down and squeezed her tightly.

"That's exactly how I picture them. It's beautiful, Haru."

She was a bit stunned that they were reacting so personally to the artwork. She took long strides to envelope them both in a hug.

"Guys, it's just a wall hanging. There's no need to cry."

Emily sniffled a bit, so Baron gave her his handkerchief, his own emotions now under control. He smiled at the sun-woman again.

"Of course there isn't. Where are your wares for the fair?"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was early morning when they found the stall which had been reserved months prior. Baron was still a little depressed that Muta was the one that got to sit on Haru's lap, since the boxes had taken his previous seat. The yellow woman didn't make any weight comments, but she did look pretty relieved when he leapt off at the destination. Baron was carrying the biggest box, Haru the second biggest, and Emily trailing behind with the smallest while Muta waddled next to the little girl.

Haru was able to quickly transform the bare wood into an inviting stall with Baron and Emily's help, embroidered sheets declaring that "Fantasy" was open for business. Emily squealed with delight as Haru took out several beaded circlets and hung them on a wooden rack, along with several pairs of beaded earrings and other jewelry, cloth dolls and embroidered scarves lining the back of the stalls while an exquisite Celtic knot quilt took center stage.

"Oh, good. I hoped you would be open this year, Haru."

She turned, obviously recognizing the woman speaking to her.

"Well, I'd hate to disappoint dedicated fans. How have you been, Kail?"

"Oh, fairly well. Is this the famous Machida?" The silver-haired woman gestured to Baron. Haru blushed.

"Oh no, this is Baron, a good friend of mine. And his daughter, Emily."

Kail looked them over, a sly smile on her face.

"Just a friend, huh?"

Baron nodded sadly.

"Unfortunately. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He kissed her hand, making the old woman blush and giggle.

"Believe me, the pleasure's mine. You _are_ planning to have the drawing for that quilt, Haru?"

"I have to. I can't keep up with the demand for them."

"Good. I'll take twenty chances."

Haru stared.

"Um, they're five bucks each, are you sure about this?"

The woman slapped down two fifties.

"I've been trying to get one of your Celtic quilts for years, young lady, and I don't know if I'll last to next year."

Haru smiled at the old joke and reeled off twenty tickets for her. Kail delicately folded the tickets into her purse and walked off to see what else the fair had to offer her. Baron grinned at the sun-woman.

"Years, Haru?"

She blushed, and set the boxes aside.

"I've had a stall in this fair for eight years. The first year, I sold the quilt to the first person that wanted it, and I got a lot of other people that wanted it angry, so it's more sporting to have a drawing."

"And doubtlessly more profitable."

She grinned at him, and gently shooed them out of the stall.

"I really appreciate your help, but I'm pretty sure that you two would like to see the rest of the fair."

Emily was about to skip off, but her father gripped her shoulder.

"What about you?"

She shrugged.

"I told you; all I do is sit around, sell stuff, and make sarcastic comments. You two will have a lot more fun if you see everything else."

Baron shook his head.

"You should have some fun too. You're a hard worker, and deserve a break every now and again. What if we take turns minding the stall?"

Haru stared at him. No one had ever offered to do that for her before. Not even her parents, the two years she did it while they were still alive.

"You don't have to do that, Baron."

"No, but I want to."


	11. The Fair

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Eleven: The Fair

"All right, but I get to make dinner for you and Emily afterwards, or no deal." She wasn't about to take _complete _advantage of the offer. Baron's eyebrows shot up.

"I see. And the downside would be what exactly?"

Haru giggled as Muta jumped onto her lap and patted her cheek with his paw.

"Yes, Muta. I'll make your dinner too."

He purred at her again, obviously remembering the caramel rolls. A dark crow perched on the top of the stall, protesting with caws. She hadn't been too hot about feeding a crow human food when she made the rolls, but Baron apparently did it all the time without side effects, so she included Toto in the deal too. Baron and Emily spent the first half hour of the fair at Haru's side, carefully noting how much each item sold for. She sneaked a page from the back of her log to make a cheat sheet for Baron, and then stood back to monitor his selling techniques for half an hour.

They began to switch off every hour, taking Emily everywhere around the fair grounds. Haru paid for her and Emily to take a horse ride, and then Baron would challenge various medieval jocks to duels, and take a stuffed animal as a prize for one of the girls to show his victory. They kept their souvenirs in the empty boxes in the back of the stall, and the tickets for the quilt drawing ran out far sooner than even Haru hoped. At about three, she and Baron took the other half of the tickets and placed them in a clear plastic ball. After playing soccer with it for ten minutes, Haru opened the latch and picked a single paper. A sizable crowd had gathered to see the number Haru wrote in big letters and placed in plain view. Kail joyfully stepped forward to claim her prize, producing the matching number from her purse. Some of the other bidders applauded her, while others walked away grumbling about a fixed outcome.

"It's about time I got my hands on you!" The silver haired woman squeezed the plastic bag her new quilt was in, an ecstatic look on her face. Haru laughed.

"Well, you certainly took enough chances!"

The woman nodded happily.

"Isn't that the way of life? You can't get what you want without taking a few chances." She nearly skipped away with her treasure, Baron smiling at her retreating back.

'_You have no idea.'_ The chances he had taken during his life, and the one he was taking now…

A tanned hand gripped Haru's shoulder, making her turn around before Baron could do anything. She smiled in recognition, but the look faded at seeing the man's facial expression.

"Tsuge, is something wrong?"

The man had a haunted look, and he looked like he hadn't paid too much attention at football practice, if the bruises were any indication.

"Yeah, and I'd really like to talk to you about it. Alone." he added, looking at Baron. The masked gentleman stiffened.

"It's my shift next anyway." He sat down in the chair behind the stall, but gave Toto a secret look that made the crow fly to the secluded corner where Tsuge had taken Haru. He settled comfortably in a branch that the brunette wouldn't see him in, and looked down at the man studying his feet, unable to look her in the eye.

"Did Hiromi ever mention any trouble with us? I mean, as a couple?"

Haru thought a moment.

"After I got back from England, she didn't look as enthused about you taking her out, and she started to say that something was off when we got distracted."

He sighed, clearly hoping for something more specific.

"She dumped me."

Haru's eyes widened.

"She what?"

Tsuge looked down at his feet again, his eyes beginning to water. He pulled a small silver ring set with a sapphire from his pocket.

"I tried to propose to her, and she flipped. She said we were too young to make a commitment like that, so I tried to say that twenty-five is plenty old enough, and she dumped me without a further explanation. Are you sure that she didn't say more about us?"

She shook her head sadly and gripped his shoulder for comfort. He sank to the ground, the ring still balled up in his fist as he struggled not to cry.

"I wish I didn't buy this thing." He growled, looking at a nearby trash can. "Maybe if I return it, I can get most of my money back."

A sweet feeling welled up in Haru, spilling out of her mouth before she could stop it.

"Don't do that."

He looked up at her, confused. Blinking a bit, she smiled and leaned down to look at him at eye level. She placed one hand on his shoulder again and squeezed it comfortingly.

"I know you and the other two in our little group don't believe me when I try to talk about my sixth sense, but you need to trust me on this. You'll meet another girl who loves blue, and you'll want to keep that ring for her. One year is all I ask."

He stared at her, not quite sure how to take the words.

"Take the time to heal, Tsuge. The right one will appear before the year is up."

He gripped her arm.

"How can you be sure?"

"Have I ever been wrong when I use this tone of voice?"

"Well, no."

"Then trust me. If she doesn't appear by this time next year, you can hit me."

"Hah, like Machida or Baron would let me."

"True," she laughed.

He smiled warmly at her while getting to his feet.

"Even if she doesn't appear, it still feels good to hear you say she will. I knew I could count on you, Haru."

She smiled at him again, and he hugged her in thanks. He looked over her shoulder.

"Hey, the dancing started! Care to join me?"

She grinned at him again and took his arm.

"Angry at your feet for some reason? Because you know what will happen."

He laughed as he pocketed the ring.

"You walk around in time with the music; I would be impressed if you messed that up." He led her to the grassy field where a long line of people started marching around itself in a complicating pattern.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Toto flew back to the stall and landed on Baron's shoulder as he handed a pair of teenage girls their change.

"Have a pleasant day." He bade them warmly, making the girls giggle as they walked to the next stall. Toto whispered into Baron's ear.

"The guy's girlfriend broke up with him, and needed Haru to comfort him."

Baron nodded in understanding as Muta snorted in disgust.

"Wish Haru would follow the girlfriend's example. I'm tired of beating around the bush."

Baron sighed in agreement and watched the swirling dancers. With shock, he realized that Haru was with Tsuge, both of them laughing hard whenever Haru stumbled. Emily hopped off her father's lap and ran to the woman.

"What are you doing?" She started running low on breath, so Haru picked her up and kept going.

"Dancing with Tsuge."

"He's not your boyfriend though."

"No, but he _is_ a friend."

Emily thought about this as Haru leaned over to go under a bridge one couple made with their hands.

"Does that mean you'd dance with Daddy?"

She laughed, knowing that the tiny girl would ask that.

"If he doesn't mind sacrificing his feet to the cause."

She squealed with delight and jumped out of her arms to tell her father. Tsuge chuckled with amusement.

"I don't think you'll be getting rid of those two anytime soon, Haru."

She smiled at him, not bothering to vocally confirm the fact.

"Daddy, Daddy!" Emily excitedly hopped back onto her father's lap, Muta looking up at her in annoyance, since he was trying to nap.

"Haru said she'd dance with you if you asked her!"

Baron forgot about his hurt ego and looked out to see her nearly run into the long line. That most certainly wouldn't do to make the right impression. He looked over to the musicians, and was pleased to see one accordion player in the band.

"Mind the stall for me, Sweetheart?"

She nodded enthusiastically and got off his lap so he could get up. Emily took his seat behind the stall and tried to look as professional as she could. Baron grinned at his daughter and kissed her hair before approaching the musicians for a special request.


	12. The Tender Waltz

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Twelve: The Tender Waltz

When the fast-paced music finally stopped, Haru gratefully sank onto the cool grass, Tsuge groaning with multiple bruises.

"Well, you did warn me."

She giggled tiredly, relieved that he had gotten over his depression. She hoped that Hiromi at least had a decent reason for breaking up with such a sweet guy. The other dancers began to struggle off the field, having their fill of music and homicidal dancers for one day.

"Excuse me, would you care to dance?"

She looked up at Baron, a bigger smile on her face.

"Sure."

Tsuge grunted as he unsteadily rose to his feet.

"I took most of the beating, so she should go easier on you."

Baron smiled again and helped Haru to her feet, the accordion starting an old-fashioned waltz. Tsuge stumbled off while the sun maiden placed both hands on her partner's shoulders. He blinked, and then took her right hand in his to guide her through the steps, the other hand on her waist. She was unfamiliar with dancing the way Baron wanted her to, but trusted his judgment. The waltz was slow and simple, a fact that Haru was pretty grateful for. She didn't even have to worry about knowing the steps; Baron's movements alone were enough to guide her own.

Tsuge had stumbled back to the stall to talk to Emily, not having anything better to do. The little girl was actually doing pretty well on selling the merchandise, using her natural cuteness factor to draw customers. Tsuge looked over her shoulder to see her carefully mark the sales.

"Hey, you have pretty good handwriting, for someone your age."

She smiled at him, but quickly turned her eyes back to her father and Haru waltzing beautifully. No one else had joined the dance, preferring to watch the lone couple instead.

"Daddy taught me. He says it gives me an edge on learning to start younger."

He nodded in understanding, and looked back at Haru. He hadn't seen that look on her face for months; a sort of awe-struck expression, like she couldn't believe that Baron's feet were still three-dimensional. She also looked happy, much happier than when Machida was holding her close these days. After everything she had done for so many others, she deserved to be that happy more often. But Machida hadn't made her smile like that in months…

"Maybe I'm not the only one that should get dumped today," Tsuge murmured, watching Baron lead Haru through a dip and twirl her around like a ballerina. The enormous white cat gave a snort that the football player could have sworn to be an agreement bordering on the lines of 'big fat duh'.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Haru was still grinning when she and Baron started tearing down the stall for the night. The remaining stock could be fit inside the smallest box, being three embroidered scarves and a single cloth doll.

"Thank you both so much for helping today. I haven't had this much fun at a fair in years!"

Baron smiled back at her, soaking in her great mood as he helped her fold the decorative sheets.

"It was our pleasure. Without inventory, what will you do the remaining days of the fair?"

"I have a few more boxes worth stashed away in my apartment. That reminds me; what sounds good for dinner?"

There was enough room left in the boxes to just put the smaller two into the bigger one, and Baron carefully pondered the question.

"What do you think, Emily?"

The little girl's arms were full with a large stuffed cat, not being Muta, who was waddling next to the humans as they approached the car.

"Let Haru decide! I really liked her rolls, and she probably has more recipes than we know about."

Both of the von Gikkingens looked at her as they loaded the back seat.

"I'm thinking fish stew and apple dumplings. I saw a sale for granny smiths on the way here."

"What are apple dumplings?"

Haru stared at Emily, a slightly horrified look on her face.

"You never had one? We need to fix that immediately."

Baron laughed at the brunette's dismay as he closed Emily's door and opened Haru's. He decided not to mention that he didn't know what they were either, although Muta's salivating indicated that he was all too aware what they were. Haru raised one foot to enter the car, and then paused, her eyes clouding over.

"Haru, is something wrong?"

She struggled to focus on him, her attention splitting badly.

"Could you excuse me for a second?" Haru ran away from the car and toward a park enclosure. Baron shut the door after Muta and ran after her, since there clearly wasn't a bathroom in that direction.

He found her shooing away a group of ill-mannered kids and kneeling towards something on the ground. When he approached her, he could see that it was a dark gray cat with a golden collar pulled halfway off his neck. The cat was cut up in several places, and was meowing pitifully. Haru was taking out a handkerchief to try to mop up the worst of the mess, gently easing the collar into a comfortable position for the cat.

"I don't even want to know what those kids were thinking. Think we can get him to a vet, Baron?"

At the mention of his name, the cat opened his eyes at the tall blonde, revealing one blue eye and one red. He meowed more insistently, and the tall man knew who he was.

"No, because I know who he belongs to." He tore off his cape, then carefully placed the cat within and wrapped him up with Haru's help.

"Won't his owner appreciate a vet then?"

"No. He's slightly unhinged, and has his own cat doctor. He's probably worried sick about this one." Baron gently picked up the cat inside his cape and ran to the car. He tried to think of a plan that wouldn't make his crush hate him as she followed closely. He opened one door for Emily again while placing the injured cat in the passenger seat.

"Haru, could you take Emily home with you? The cat's owner isn't big on kids, and I really need to hurry."

Slightly confused at his authoritative tone, she nodded as Emily hopped out of the car to look at the cat.

"Lune! What happened to you?"

Baron shushed her as he shut the two doors.

"I need you to go with Haru, help her with dinner. I'll be back as soon as I can!"

The brunette grabbed the child and stepped back onto the sidewalk to watch him speed away, Toto tailing him in the air.

'_Are you keeping something from me, Baron?'_

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The blonde man looked at his rearview to see the two women again.

"I'm sorry, Haru." he whispered, hating himself for not taking the opportunity to tell her the truth. The gray cat lifted his head weakly.

"Thank heaven you came when you did, Baron."

Muta grunted as he moved to the back seat.

"You mean thank Haru. She just ran off, and Baron followed."

The man shrugged and touched a special paw-shaped amulet underneath his clothes, hanging from his neck. A large blue circle appeared at the side of the building the car and crow were speeding towards, and disappeared into.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Emily struggled to think of something to distract Haru from her father's strange behavior.

"Did an angel tell you where to find Lune?"

Haru nodded half-heartedly and let her down so they could start walking toward the bus stop.

"Is there something about the cat's owner your dad doesn't want me to know about?"

Emily thought fast.

"Actually, I think it's the other way around. The owner hit on Mommy pretty hard just before she married Daddy."

Haru suddenly understood completely. Baron was just protecting her, and that was completely acceptable. But why not say so?


	13. The Cat Kingdom

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Thirteen: The Cat Kingdom

The Cat Kingdom was fairly peaceful before Baron's car sped through a new blue portal and towards the castle. The guards, familiar with the car's owner, immediately opened the gates for the car to go through, the huge crow just sailing over the wall.

Inside the green car, Muta was barely able to move, lying across the back seat in an effort to make more room, since he barely fit. Baron's ears trailed up the sides of his head as his eyes became more slanted and a thick coat of fur began to grow. He parked the car in the courtyard and hurriedly got out so that his tail could grow out comfortably, whiskers beginning to sprout.

He rushed to the other side of the car and picked up Lune again, the task a little more difficult this time since they were nearly the same size. The cloak didn't cover as much of him as it did a few minutes before. Disturbed by the noise, a large gray cat, lighter than Lune, poked his head out of the window. He gasped, and then crawled down the side of the building, obviously too distraught to think about the stairs.

"Son!" He ran to Baron's side, trying to understand where the wounds had come from.

"The infirmary, Your Majesty?" At least the orange cat still had his head on straight. The large cat blinked twice in confusion, and then turned to lead the way. Muta finished extracting himself from the car.

"Maybe I should take your share of dinner tonight, Piggy Cat!" Toto taunted, a smirk evident in his tone. Muta looked up at the bird to retort.

"Maybe I should add you to Haru's stew while her back is turned!"

The Cat King turned back sharply to hiss at them.

"If you two are going to fight, then stay out here! The doctors will need peace and quiet!"

They shrugged, not caring much, and kept insulting each other as the king and Baron disappeared inside the castle.

"Actually, they've been behaving far better than usual, Majesty. The only reason they've gone back is because their new source of amusement is gone for the moment."

The king pulled back a curtain, and a group of doctors took the prince from the half-cat and began the process of cleaning him up.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"What happened, Lune?"

Two hours later, the dark gray cat laid his head back, rolls of cloth wrapping him up like a mummy. A pretty white cat was at his side, holding his paw, one of the few unscratched points on his body. She was relieved that her husband would heal completely.

"I got into a fight with a few street cats, and then some kids tried to steal my collar. If it wasn't for Baron's girlfriend, I might have bled to death."

The king turned back to the orange cat, a sly smile on his lips.

"Girlfriend? I thought you swore off those after your wife died."

"This one persuaded me to renounce the vow. Unfortunately, she's with someone else at the moment."

Lune's father looked confused.

"How did she persuade you if she's with someone else?"

"By being her wonderful self. As things stand, we're just friends."

He blinked again.

"I take it she's the Haru your friends were fighting about?"

"Yes. Emily's distracting her until we can head back."

The Cat Princess looked up sharply.

"Which Haru?"

Lune turned to the white cat, and gave a weak smile.

"Must be your Haru, Yuki. Not too many girls run around helping cats with that name."

Baron looked at the princess.

"What did she do for you?"

The cat princess's eyes faded from fond memories of a young human girl holding a yellow box; a huge smile on her cute face.

"She fed me fish crackers so I wouldn't starve."

"Yes, it's probably the same Haru; I heard she had a long history with cats."

The king knocked one paw against the wall.

"I've been hearing about a mysterious human girl that went out of her way to help cats, but I never had the urge to meet her before. She must be properly thanked for her deeds."

Baron stepped on his line of thought, knowing he would carry his thanks too far.

"Haru's not the type to accept rewards. She's satisfied with a simple thank you."

"Heh, no wonder you like her. But I'd at least like to see the woman who saved my son and daughter-in-law." He hobbled back to a personal study, Baron trailing behind, since he remembered how the king had reacted when he first saw Louise.

The Cat King walked up to a crystal ball, surrounded by a mountain of record able tapes and stuck one into the VCR. He picked up a fancy remote and started playing with the buttons. He spoke into the microphone at the top of the remote.

"Show me the Haru that saved my son's life."

The ball flickered on, and then clouded over, like a satellite dish trying to find the right channel.

The sphere's vision cleared to show two beautiful human girls, the younger one bearing a striking resemblance to the older woman. Both were dressed to appear in court, except for the aprons tied around their waists and the tied back sleeves. They were both at a smallish counter in a neat little apartment, the woman peeling and coring green apples while the younger girl placed them on square pieces of rolled out dough. The girl would coat the apples with a butter mixture, and then a sugary mixture before wrapping the apples up in the dough squares and placing them in a pan, a large pot steaming on the stovetop.

Baron smiled warmly at the picture, so the Cat King knew that this was the right one. The older woman spoke tenderly, her voice echoing with a crystal twinkling inside the crystal ball.

"It's nice having you and your dad like my home-cooked meals instead of a delivery pizza or burger."

The little girl placed another wrapped apple in the pan.

"Is that the kind of food your boyfriend likes?"

"Yeah." The woman seemed to sadden, thinking of him. The little girl noticed the change of mood and placed one flour-covered hand over the older girl's apron to tug on it.

"Haru, why is Machida your boyfriend if you can't agree on anything and you hardly spend any time together?"

The woman shook violently, accidentally cutting her finger instead of the apple. Firmly keeping a paper towel over the wound, she thought carefully about the question. Baron stepped closer to the sphere, his eyes locked on the brunette.

"I've dreamed about being his girlfriend for years, and it was kind of funny that he literally needed to be hit on the head with an oar to take a second look at me. We have a lot of fun fighting, and it's mutually understood that he needs to focus on keeping his football scholarship and I need to worry about making bills on time and my full scholarship."

"But do you love him?"

Haru's eyes widened at the question, and she opened her mouth to answer.

Nothing came out, and she knew what it meant as her heart sunk in realization. She placed the last apple in front of the girl, who started her work on it.

"No. I care about Machida, but I don't love him."

Baron's heart soared, finally knowing for certain that she wasn't fully committed to her current relationship. His daughter brightened too.

"If you don't love him, why not give Daddy a chance? He loves you."

He made a mental note to raise Emily's allowance when he got back to the human world. Haru took the full pan and filled it with a brown liquid before placing it in the hot oven, using the time to think about the question. She sat down at the small table, keeping both fists under her chin as she concentrated. Baron placed one hand over her image, willing her to feel the love he had for her. The Cat King watched his movements with great interest.

"Why don't I?" she whispered, her eyes a thousand miles away. Seeing the moment of weakness, Emily moved in for the kill.


	14. A Startling Revelation

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Fourteen: A Startling Revelation

"You said that you liked the cat doll Baron growing up, right?"

The woman nodded, a trace of confusion bringing her back to the room.

"And you said that species aside, you can't tell the difference between him and Daddy, right?"

She nodded again, wondering where this was going. Emily glowed in triumph.

"Which means that you've been dreaming about a guy like Daddy long before Machida came into your life. And that means that my dad had a previous claim to your heart without realizing it."

A look of wonder came over Haru, and she silently gasped. Baron erased his previous mind note in order to think of something better for his daughter. The woman slowly relaxed and laughed in defeat.

"Have you thought about becoming a lawyer, Kitten? You're pretty good at using facts to your advantage."

The little girl smiled happily and climbed onto her lap, leaving floured handprints on the red apron.

"To be honest, I just want to start calling you Mom."

Haru laughed again, the relief of several months' worth evident as she wrapped the girl in her arms.

"Might as well, since I've practically been seducing your dad anyway. I better go call Machida before he gets back from returning that cat. There are a number of things I'd like to get off my chest."

Baron could not contain his enthusiasm any longer. He made a few victory punches in the air and jumped around the study, all traces of dignity lost.

"Yes! Yes! I love my daughter!" He loved Haru too, but thought it best to tell her before the cat court heard. The Cat King just laughed as the scene faded from his crystal ball.

"If I had a daughter that just set me up with a babe like that, I'd love her too. Wait, she thinks you're two separate people?"

Baron nodded, tears of joy streaming down his face.

"I'll disillusion her as soon as I get back." He started to run out of the study, but the Cat King grabbed his arm.

"Don't you want to give her enough time to break up with that Machida fellow?"

"Oh, right." He laughed a little foolishly, and walked at a much-more controlled pace. The king watched him leave, a stormy expression on his face.

"Just how does he do it? This one even had someone else."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Toto and Muta were taking a break from insulting each other, breathing heavily as Baron approached, an ecstatic look on his face. Toto noticed his mood first.

"What's gotten into you, Baron? If that smile gets any bigger, your face will crack."

"Haru's breaking up with Machida, right now."

Muta got onto his hind feet.

"How would you know something like that?"

"The king wanted to see Haru, so we spied on her long enough to hear her say she was going to dump Machida for me."

Muta humphed.

"It's about time! I was thinking about just telling her to do it, but I don't think she'd take that very well."

"Are you going to tell her the truth now?"

Baron turned back to Toto, still feeling a bit silly.

"Yes, but I want to give her a little more time to fully break up with the football player. That's a discussion I'd hate to interrupt."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Baron only waited another fifteen minutes before climbing back into his car, promising the royal family to pass along their thanks to Haru. He had spent ten of those fifteen minutes convincing the Cat King that Haru would not be pleased by cat gifts, being fairly sure that she wouldn't appreciate having her apartment run over by boxed mice and cat tails.

Muta decided to wait to get into the car until after Baron switched to the human side of the portal, since it was much easier that way. Baron lost the fur as he pulled from the portal into Haru's parking lot, and nearly ran up the stairs to her door, Toto barely beating him to her window. He decided it would still be prudent to knock.

He wasn't surprised by the tears streaming down his daughter's face as she opened the door, but he was by her words.

"Daddy! Haru was on the phone, and she fell over shaking! She won't get up or answer me!"

Baron paled and stormed past Emily, seeing her bedroom door partially open, Haru wedged halfway in the doorframe. He ran to her side and tried to determine the problem. Noting that she was clutching her upper left arm with her right hand, he gently peeled it away and pulled the sleeve up enough to see what the problem was. He gasped, unwilling to believe what he was seeing.

A scratch as long as his thumb had turned black, with ugly veins stretching outwards dominating her upper arm.

"Haru, why didn't you say anything?" he whispered, angry at what the mark meant. No wonder she had gained cat-like abilities, these past few days. Emily peaked over his shoulder and gasped at the wound. Fighting back tears, he carefully picked Haru up and leaned towards his daughter.

"Emily, activate your mother's amulet."

"But Daddy-"

"No buts; remember what Haru said about protecting something you love? The Cat Kingdom's the only chance we've got to save her."

The girl straightened at the memory, and touched the amulet she had previously told Haru was just her mother's favorite cat's paw necklace.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The Cat King was just getting comfortable in his throne again when blue lights lit up the hall. Everyone turned to see the Baron nearly run into the throne room again, this time with a human girl in his arms, his daughter Emily, Toto, and Muta close behind him.

"Baron? That was fast-"

"Not fast enough. I know I said that Haru wouldn't appreciate any cat gifts, but if you can heal her…" He struggled not to cry in front of the royal court, holding a shaking Haru closer to him. The king looked at her.

"What's wrong with the babe? She was fine a few moments ago."

Emily piped up.

"I think I accidentally scratched her when she saved my life almost three weeks ago!"

The Cat King stood up, amazed.

"How strange. It's only supposed to be a week before they die."

"Can you help her or not?"

"Afraid not. She's as good as dead."

Baron struggled to contain his anger.

"This woman not only helped your son, but also your daughter-in-law and countless numbers of your subjects in her lifetime. Do you still say that you can't help her?!"

The king shook his head.

"Sorry, babe. If she had a trace of magic in her veins, I might be able to do something, but other than that, my paws are tied."

Baron glowed in triumph. Emily spoke up for him.

"Haru's the daughter of the artisan that brought my parents to life."

Lune's father blinked in astonishment.

"Oh, well in that case…"


	15. The Secrets Revealed

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Fifteen: The Secrets Revealed

Haru woke to strong sunlight, more than what usually came through her window. She stretched her body lazily before attempting to sit up. Feeling something warm over her hand, she looked down to see Baron's. He was passed out halfway on the bed, his head resting near her stomach and his legs on the floor.

'_What is he doing in my room?'_ That's when she noticed that the room wasn't hers, and Baron's face wasn't what she was used to. The plumed hat from before was resting on the bedside table with the steel mask she admired. Baron's ears were now pointed and on top of his head, and most of his head was covered with fur the same color as his hair as a human, with markings around his eyes. Her heart caught in her throat.

This was the Baron she had worshiped as a child! And he was sleeping next to her! His steady breathing entranced her as she noted that he was still wearing the clothes from the fair. All the subtle hints and clues fell together, slamming into her consciousness like a bag of wet cement. He even knew about her childhood crush on him! How on earth could she have been so blind?

'_I'm going to curl up and die from embarrassment now!'_ But… 

She timidly tried to wiggle her hand free from his grasp, but he shifted in his sleep and tightened his grip on her. Haru raised her other hand, and was about to stroke his fur when she noticed that a fine coat of light brown fur coating her own arm. She stiffened, now noticing that a tail was swishing against her legs in sync with her moods. She reached up to feel her own pointed ears and new face shape; confused that she felt and looked like a cat. At least she still had fingers and toes like a human.

'_Just what happened after I blacked out?'_ She was about to shake Baron awake for answers when she got a better idea. 

Reaching over his head, she began to softly scratch behind his velvety ears, making him shift in his sleep again and start purring. Haru fought back her giggles as she kept up the scratching, slowly getting firmer. He lazily arched his back in pleasure and looked at her, silencing any lasting doubts about there being two Barons. His yellow-green eyes were filled with the same love she had tried to ignore when he was a human.

"You know what's interesting, Baron?" 

He shifted again, his mind still partially asleep.

"No, what?"

"Emily claims that you're thirty, but Whisper of the Heart was published twenty-seven years ago. You need to fix that loophole." 

His eyes shot open as wide as they could go; indicating that he was now fully awake, and remembering the form he was in.

"Haru, I swear I was going to tell you the truth when I came back."

"How about telling me now? Like why do I have whiskers?" 

Seeing that she wasn't angry at him, he relaxed and sat on the bed to hold her close.

"It was the only way to keep you alive. I figured since you already liked cats, you would prefer this to death." 

Since his arms were pinning hers against his chest, Haru gripped the front of his shirt.

"What do you mean? I wasn't dying."

"Actually you were. Do you recall how you received the wound on your arm?" 

She tried to back up in surprise, but he was still holding her tight.

"It was just a scratch Emily gave me when I saved her, nothing big. She probably doesn't remember giving it to me."

"She should have. Her scratches can kill." 

Haru scoffed. 

"No, I'm serious. If you didn't have artisan ancestry, you would have been dead exactly a week after acquiring the wound." 

She had just found the perfect contours of his shoulder to rest her head in, and was getting very comfortable.

"Please explain." 

He stroked her hair with one hand, the other still trying to close any remaining distance between their bodies.

"As I'm sure you've guessed, your mother was a descendant of an artisan, and had magic flowing in her veins. When she poured her heart and soul into writing Whisper of the Heart, she gave me and Louise life again. It took ten years for us to find each other, and then it still wasn't enough. After spending so many years apart, we didn't want to stay engaged, but as long as we remained Creations, we had to stay that way. About seven years ago, we did a favor for the Cat King, and in return, he granted us the ability to shift between our Creation form and human form. As an added bonus, he gave us a complete background as humans so that it wouldn't appear that we came from thin air. Louise knew that she might not survive bearing a child, but she wanted one so badly that I couldn't refuse her." 

That brought Haru's memory back.

"Baron, I've talked to Louise! When I was still unconscious." 

He took his head away from resting on hers in order to look her in the eye. 

"She's been conspiring with my parents and great-grandfather to get us together for months. She's thrilled that I've finally taken her entire hints." 

'_She didn't mention any cat stuff though. I wonder if she was behind the storm…'_

He chuckled lovingly. 

"I'm not surprised. Before she passed on, she tried to tell me to get remarried so Emily would have a mother and I wouldn't be lonely. I naturally refused, since I was still in denial that she might die. She became very irritated with me, and I quote, 'Baron, if you don't pick a nice girl to be a mother to our daughter, then I'll pick one out for you!' I didn't believe that she would follow through with her threat until I met you." 

She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder a bit.

"You felt the sparks too?" 

He nodded and squeezed her again, savoring every second of holding her close. 

"By the way, I found out something very interesting about Machida." 

He looked her in the eye again, guessing what she was about to say.

"Oh?"

"Turns out he's in love with Hiromi." 

Baron nearly fell over in shock. 

"What!"

"It definitely explains why he mentioned her every time she got hurt or when he described his version of proper girlfriend behavior. It sure made breaking up with him in favor of you easier." 

He embraced her again, relieved that the task wasn't difficult for her.

"How does Hiromi feel about him?"

"She's been admiring him for months, but didn't say anything about it because she didn't want to hurt me or Tsuge." 

The large curtain on the other side of the room burst open, and a small white kitten with green eyes ran through to see the cats embracing on the bed. She was wearing the purple dress.

"Haru!" Emily pounced onto the bed and squeezed the brown cat. "I'm so sorry for almost killing you! I swear I didn't mean it!" 

The cat woman laughed lightly and embraced her through her father's arms.

"I know you didn't, sweetheart. How could she have killed me again, Baron?" 

He looked slightly annoyed at his daughter's timing, but didn't dodge the question.

"When Louise and I were first given the ability to change, the Cat King warned us that if we allowed a trace of our DNA into someone else's body, that person would die in exactly a week, since Creation genetics is lethal to non-Creations. The only reason the Cat King was able to save you was because you have artisan blood, magic, in your veins. That provided the basis for the spell to change you partially into a Creation."

"So he did the opposite thing to me as he did to you?"

"Fairly close. Needless to say, you won't be able to participate in blood drives in the future." 

She looked at her hand again, and concentrated. The tan fur slowly shrank back inside her skin, and she could feel her ears moving down the sides of her head. Thus satisfied, she switched back to cat.

"You know? This is actually kind of cool." 

Baron grinned again, glad that she wasn't upset. Emily hugged her around her waist again.

"This is the real reason I didn't want to cry out for you or Daddy during the storm; I was scared that you would see me like this and not like me anymore. I turn into a cat when I get really scared, but Daddy has better control." 

Haru shook her head and pulled Emily away enough to look her in the eye.

"It will take a lot more than growing whiskers to get me to hate you. I think you and your father are great as cats or humans." 

Baron glowed and embraced her again. A slight shifting in the curtain drew Haru's attention. 

"Holy cow! How did Muta get so huge!" 

Her window was suddenly filled with a feathery darkness that couldn't stop laughing.

"I knew I liked you, Haru!" 

Her eyes widened, recognizing Toto. Muta stomped in, angry sparks flying from his eyes.

"For that remark, you owe me a pan of apple dumplings!"

"Oh, crud. I think the oven was still on when I passed out. Where are we again?"


	16. The Proud Announcement

Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Sixteen: The Proud Announcement

"Dear! We've got mail from Baron!" Mrs. Oakwood said cheerfully as she arranged the afternoon tea.

"Oh? I thought he was still giving us the cold shoulder from the yacht incident." Mr. Oakwood sent a meaningful look to his son, who was still being punished. Peter pouted, but knew better than to say anything. With excitement, the man of the house carefully opened the letter and pulled out the card. He stared at it, disbelieving what was in front of his eyes. Used to taking charge, his wife slipped the card from his fingers, reading aloud so that the attendants could hear too.

"_Emily von Gikkingen is proud to announce the engagement of her father Baron to Haru, daughter of the late Seiji and Shizuku Amasawa. You are cordially invited to witness the union...,_ I don't believe it; Baron's getting married!" 

Her husband was still a little numb, staring at the photograph that had been tucked into the envelope.

"He just won't turn down any excuse to wear that outfit, will he?" 

Baron was in his famous gray suit, complete with top hat. The woman he had glimpsed a month before was now sitting bridal style in Baron's arms, in a stunning yellow dress and a huge smile on her face as she hugged his neck. Emily was visible in a corner of a picture, in a similar dress of lavender and throwing flower petals at the couple, who appeared to be laughing at her. Peter noticed a last piece of paper in the letter and grabbed at it.

"Young man…" His father growled.

"It has my name on it anyway." He showed his father the writing across the front to prove his innocence. Mr. Oakwood grumbled, but gestured for him to read the letter aloud.

_Dear Peter, _

_I know that pushing me off the yacht was an accident, but I'm writing to say thank you for doing it. If you hadn't, I wouldn't be getting Haru for a mom, and she's the best! I already asked Daddy and __Haru __Mom if you can be the ring-bearer and they're okay with it. Please say you'll do it! We're having the wedding on a boat, since that's how they met, and I don't have to worry about drowning this time, since Mom's been teaching me how to swim._

_Once again, thanks for what you did! See you at the wedding!_

_Kindest regards, _

_Emily Louise von Gikkingen_

Peter looked up from the letter.

"Kind of makes you want to un-ground me, doesn't it?" 

His mother stroked his hair lovingly; happy that little Emily was getting her heart's desire.

"Almost, but not quite. You can go to the wedding, though." 

He pouted while his father looked at the wedding announcement again.

"Come to think of it, what are the names of Baron's parents?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Lots of love to;

Kittydemon18, Lanari, EarthGurdian, Rebel of my Destiny, Watersoul the Head Star Walker, Ducklin, Drifting One, tashie1010, shadowkeepre, HyperMint, Lunamoon12, mangafairy, 002fox, Selene Ann Potter, mistress of mist, Joyfull Scroll, and the Immortal Priestess for their wonderful reviews. I just love hearing from you guys.

This story was a lot of fun to write, especially the CPR scene. I hope everyone enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it, and another's story more than likely making an appearance next week. 

Till then,

YarningChick


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